Inside Meghan Markle’s dysfunctional family
You might think your own family is a bit dysfunctional, but chances are they’ve got nothing on the Markles.
The family of the royal-to-be have made countless headlines since Meghan and Prince Harry’s relationship was made public, and with their wedding just months away, the constant drama is causing more than a few headaches at Kensington Palace.
So, with so much going on with the Markle family, it’s about time we tried to keep track of who’s who.
Doria Ragland – Meghan’s mother
Meghan once described her mother, a yoga teacher and social worker, as a “free spirited clinical therapist” who took her to visit slums in Jamaica and Mexico as a child in order to raise her as a global citizen.
Meghan appears to be incredibly close to her mum, who joined her in the VIP box at Prince Harry’s Invictus Games in October, and it seems the red-haired royal is a big fan of Doria, describing her as “amazing” and reportedly asking for her blessing before proposing to Meghan.
Thomas Markle – Meghan’s father
Thomas was a two-time Emmy-winning lighting director on shows like General Hospital (where he met Doria) for years. When he and Doria got divorced, Meghan was just six years old and went to live with her mum – however, she did see her father regularly.
In a 2016 post on her now-deleted Instagram account, Meghan honoured her dad with a beautiful Father’s Day message. “Happy Father’s Day, daddy. I’m still your buckaroo, and to this day your hugs are still the very best in the whole wide world.”
He currently lives a quiet life in Mexico.
Samantha Markle – Meghan’s half-sister
Samantha Markle, 53, shares a father with Meghan, and although they spent time together growing up, reports suggest they have been estranged for years. Despite this, Samantha, a former actor and model who is wheelchair-bound with MS, is very vocal about her relationship with her soon-to-be royal half-sister.
In multiple interviews with the media, Samantha has labelled Meghan a “shallow”, “narcissistic” person bent on “social climbing”. “No one was estranged – she was just too busy,” she once told the media.
Two of Samantha’s daughters, Nicole Rasmussen and Ashleigh Hale, have jumped to Meghan’s defence, with the former calling her a “very nice”, “very sweet” and “very genuine” person. Rasmussen, who is not on speaking terms with Samantha, called her “abusive” and a “liar”.
Thomas Markle Jr – Meghan’s half-brother
Like his sister Samantha (from whom he’s also reportedly estranged), Thomas hasn’t been shy when it comes to speaking with the press. The 50-year-old recently shared email correspondence he had with his half-sister, who reportedly said “I don’t know those people,” referring to Thomas, who has had multiple run-ins with the law.
“That’s pretty harsh,” Thomas told In Touch, claiming he and Meghan were “as close as we could be”. However, Samantha disputed this, saying Thomas hasn’t seen the former Suits actress since she was 12.