The Royal Wedding Snub: Meghan's Family Drama

Meghan Markle's half-siblings, Thomas Markle Jr. and Samantha Markle, were not invited to her wedding to Prince Harry. Markle's father, Thomas Wayne Markle, was invited to the wedding and was expected to walk his daughter down the aisle, but ultimately could not attend due to poor health. Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, was also in attendance. Markle's half-siblings have been outspoken about their relationship with Markle since she stepped into the royal family, with Thomas Jr. writing a scathing letter to Prince Harry urging him to cancel the wedding. The half-siblings' exclusion from the wedding could be due to their strained relationship with Markle, with a source close to the former Suits star saying, Meghan has no relationship with her half-siblings, nor has she ever had one.

Meghan's half-brother wrote a letter urging Prince Harry not to marry her

Meghan Markle's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., wrote a letter to Prince Harry urging him not to marry his sister. In the letter, published by InTouch Weekly, Thomas Markle Jr. warned Prince Harry that marrying Meghan would be "the biggest mistake in royal history". He described Meghan as a "jaded, shallow, conceited woman" who would "make a joke" of Prince Harry and the royal family.

Thomas Markle Jr. is Meghan's half-brother from her father's first marriage. He reportedly has not seen Meghan since their grandmother's funeral in 2011. In the years since, Meghan's career has taken off, with her landing a starring role in the TV show Suits and, of course, marrying Prince Harry.

It is not surprising that Thomas Markle Jr. was not invited to the royal wedding, given his strained relationship with Meghan and his public criticism of her. In the letter to Prince Harry, he painted Meghan as a social climber who had forgotten about her family and was putting on a performance of being a kind and charitable person. He also accused her of neglecting their father, who reportedly did not receive an invitation to the wedding.

However, Kensington Palace later confirmed that Meghan's father would be attending the wedding and walking her down the aisle. Despite this, Thomas Markle Jr. continued to plead for an invitation, even writing a letter of apology to Meghan. His efforts were in vain, as he was ultimately not included in the guest list for the royal wedding.

Meghan's half-sister criticised Harry's humanitarian work

Meghan Markle's half-sister, Samantha Grant (also known as Samantha Markle), criticised Prince Harry's humanitarian work, claiming that his efforts were futile if he allowed "Meg [to] ignore the Markles". Samantha also took a swipe at Harry's masculinity, telling him to "man up".

Samantha's comments came amid a slew of insults directed at Meghan by her half-siblings, Thomas Markle Jr. and Samantha, who were not invited to Meghan's wedding to Prince Harry. Samantha claimed that Meghan was to blame for their estrangement, stating that they hadn't spoken in about 10 years. She also slammed Meghan for allegedly ignoring her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2008, saying, "Humanitarianism begins at home. That doesn't mean monetary, it means reaching out".

Thomas Jr. also wrote a letter to Prince Harry urging him to call off the wedding, calling Meghan a "jaded, shallow, conceited woman". He later apologised and begged for an invite, but it never came.

The drama surrounding Meghan's extended family caused quite a stir in the lead-up to the royal wedding, with Meghan ultimately confirming that her father, Thomas Markle, would not be walking her down the aisle due to health problems.

Meghan's half-brother was arrested on gun charges

Meghan Markle's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., was not invited to her wedding to Prince Harry. This was likely due to his arrest on gun charges in 2017, as well as his substance abuse issues and public criticism of his sister.

In 2017, Thomas Jr. was arrested for allegedly holding a gun to his girlfriend's head during an alcohol-fuelled argument. Although the charges were later dropped, the incident would have caused embarrassment to the royal family. Thomas Jr. himself acknowledged that the arrest was "an embarrassment to Meghan and the family". He also admitted that he had a problem with alcohol and vowed to seek help.

In addition to his legal troubles, Thomas Jr. had a strained relationship with Meghan, with reports suggesting that they had not spoken in several years. In the lead-up to the wedding, Thomas Jr. wrote a letter to Prince Harry urging him to call off the wedding, calling Meghan a "jaded, shallow, conceited woman". He also penned a letter to Meghan, apologising for his previous letter and begging for an invitation to the wedding. However, his pleas fell on deaf ears, and he was notably absent from the guest list.

The drama surrounding Thomas Jr. and the rest of Meghan's family caused a lot of tension in the lead-up to the wedding. Meghan chose to invite over 1,000 strangers to her nuptials rather than her extended family, who had been making negative headlines with their embarrassing squabbles.

Meghan's nephew grew a cannabis strain named after her

Meghan Markle's nephew, Tyler Dooley, grew a strain of cannabis named after her. Tyler is the son of the Duchess of Sussex's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr. Markle Sparkle, as the strain is called, was developed to commemorate Meghan's wedding to Prince Harry. It was sold as part of a company called Royally Grown, which Tyler set up with his mother, Tracy, who was married to Markle's half-brother.

Markle Sparkle was made by crossbreeding three varieties, including NYC Diesel, Northern Lights with Blueberry, and a secret strain. The $150-an-ounce strain is said to help alleviate insomnia, pain, and anxiety, and it has been engineered so that it doesn't increase users' appetite. The strain has a sweet, silky taste with notes of fresh blueberry and a unique, fruity, and smooth flavour. It provides an uplifting experience and a tingling body sensation for the user.

Tyler Dooley's cannabis business caused a scandal for the royal family, as weed and Buckingham Palace are not typically associated. In the UK, Tyler's business would land him in jail for years. Despite this, Tyler was excited about Meghan and Harry's wedding and even offered Harry a try of his product.

Meghan's half-sister wrote a tell-all memoir about the family

Meghan Markle's half-sister, Samantha Grant, wrote a tell-all memoir about the family, which was dubbed "The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister". In an interview with Vanity Fair, Grant described the memoir as a "warm, witty story of our lives and my life". However, Grant's agent, Linda Langton, later made her change the title as it "did not reflect what she'd told [her] about her loving feelings for Meghan". Langton described the book as "a dynamic and sympathetic portrayal of two sisters, one of whom is soon to be a real live princess".

As of 2020, Grant's book had not been published. This may be because Meghan and Samantha were estranged, and it was reported that they hadn't spoken in about 10 years. Samantha claimed that she drifted apart from her sister after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2008. She later slammed Meghan for allegedly ignoring her condition. Samantha also made headlines for sending a letter to Prince Harry, urging him to call off the wedding, and for trashing Meghan in the tabloids.

Frequently asked questions