You may have heard that Meghan Markle has an estranged relationship with some of her family members. But do you know just how bad things are? Here’s a look at the dark secrets behind why the Duchess of Sussex has such a crazy family dynamic.
1. Communication isn’t very good:As you may have noticed by all the hubbub around her, Meghan doesn’t communicate directly with anyone in her family beside her mother. (More on that a little later.) Instead, her family members communicate with her — or rather, to her — via social media and TV appearences.
2. Her father was allegedly an addict:Royal watchers are most familiar with Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., from his bizarre TV spots and the news he fabricated being invited to her wedding. Markle also apparently battled drug addiction and was using when Meghan was a teenager.
3. Her sister’s hatred goes way back:Samantha Grant thrust herself into the spotlight the second Meghan’s relationship with Prince Harry became public. She’s chastised Meghan, then recanted, and then gone back in for seconds. And, sadly, this behavior dates back to when the two were young.
4. Her brother ran into trouble with the law:Meghan’s step-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., was arrested in 2017 following what USA Today says was a drunken altercation with his girlfriend “in which he allegedly threatened her with a gun.” He was arrested again in January 2019 on a DUI charge, USA Today says.
5. Her father really did lose all his money:One of Samantha Grant’s biggest gripes towards Meghan has always been her claims their father paid for everything so she could become an actress. In fact, Tom Sr. reportedly won the lottery and then put the money towards sending Meghan to private school. He later filed for bankruptcy.
6. There’s a lot of in-fighting:Meghan’s family members don’t just talk smack about her on social media and to whatever broadcast feels the need to put them on the air. They’re also quite fond of bad-mouthing each other. Grant is the worst, making verbal accusations towards both her father and her brother.
7. Her father isn’t the only one who had to file for bankruptcy:Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, reportedly also filed for bankruptcy. However, the details surrounding it are unclear. This could potentially not be a means of hardship for Ragland, who Meghan has constantly praised as being her rock and best friend.
8. Her mother doesn’t seem very happy:You’d think Ragland would be overjoyed her daughter and only child married a prince. However, Radar Online reported shortly after the royal wedding in May 2018 that Meghan’s mom was incredibly hurt by being forced to sign a document swearing her silence about anything involving Meghan’s life as a royal. Ouch!
9. Her exes have axes to grind:Perhaps it’s no surprise that, once Meghan became the most-watched woman in the world, her exes came out in full force. Her ex-husband, Trevor Engelson, had some unsavory things to say about their divorce. While her ex-boyfriend, Cory Vitiello, has claimed Meghan was still dating him when she began courting with Prince Harry.
10. Her niece has spoken out:Samantha Grant has a few estranged children. Daughter Noelle Rasmussen jumped in front of the spotlight ahead of the royal wedding to denounce her mother’s mean-spirited rants against Meghan, although it’s unclear how close of a relationship she and Meghan ever had.
11. Her grandmother-in-law had to lay down the law:As if it wasn’t bad enough Meghan’s own family has negative opinions about her — her in-laws may feel the same way! There were rumors ahead of the royal wedding that Queen Elizabeth grew tired of Meghan’s bridezilla act and had to lay some ground rules.
12. Even her sister-in-law is on the fence:There have been rumors from the start that Meghan and sister-in-law Kate Middleton were bickering. Things were allegedly extra contentious ahead of the holidays, reportedly leading to Queen Elizabeth ordering the two to halt their feud for Christmas.
13. Family drama has become a security hazard:While Meghan may be a headache for her royal in-laws, they still apparently have her back when it comes to her crazy blood relatives. A state of emergency was called after one of Thomas Markle Sr.’s public appearances because of how badly it affected Meghan’s mental state.
14. Did the drama force the move?:With a new baby on the way and a life to build together, Meghan and Harry packed up and decided to leave the Kensington Palace proper for a place in the country. However, the move — and correlating reports Harry and brother William were separating their charity endeavors — has suggested the squabble between Meghan and Kate spread to the brothers as well.
Next: So now we wonder …
15. Is there a way to start with a clean slate?::Clearly, Meghan Markle comes from a family with a lot of baggage and turmoil. Unfortunately, it looks like some of that baggage could be spilling over into her new life as a member of the royal family. However, there’s still hope she can mend fences with her new family. Hopefully that’s something that can happen once she and Harry have their baby.
