How Meghan Markle Is Taking a Firm Stance on the Thomas Markle Drama

The Duchess Of Sussex Undertakes Her First Official Engagement With Queen Elizabeth II — (Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo)

We've probably seen the last of the royal engagements until Christmas, with the Fab Four—Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate Middleton—arriving to the Queen's Christmas luncheon yesterday. Even though Buckingham Palace isn't commenting officially, beyond saying everything is just fine with the royals, Vanity Fair is reporting that there's some tension—but not between the people you might think. Apparently, Meghan and the Queen aren't seeing totally eye to eye when it comes to Meghan's dad, Thomas Markle Sr.

As anyone with a vested interest in the royals will know, Markle has been speaking to the press about...well, just about everything. Initially he talked about how he'd be in the royal wedding, then he was disappointed he couldn't go partially for health reasons, then he shared details of the conversations he'd had with her. Repeatedly. Now, Meghan's cut off contact entirely, which, given his track record, is probably totally justified. And he's been talking to the press about that too.

Apparently the Queen hasn't loved this ongoing drama from Meghan's dad, so she wanted to handle it in a somewhat more proactive way. Per Vanity Fair:

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“She was very concerned that it [the Markle situation] was spiraling out of control, which it was,” says one observer. “Buckingham Palace wanted to be able to do something and be proactive and make the situation go away. It was a direction from the Queen, so her courtiers were under strict instructions to sort it out. But Kensington Palace was not singing from the same hymn sheet, and that was because the message was coming from Meghan. She didn’t want to engage and thought that she could handle it on her own.”

Not totally sure what "make the situation go away" means, but it doesn't sound great. There's a couple of interpretations here—if the report is true, either Meghan is showing a bit of tolerance for her father by just letting him do whatever he does, and taking the high road in contrast to direct action. Or, she feels she knows the situation better since it's her dad, and she may worry that direct action might make things worse. Let's not even discuss how her half-sister writing the tell-all book might react.

It's likely a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't situation. But, up until the point when Meghan might no longer be able to keep silent, she's doing her best to just overlook her dad's behavior.

Earlier this week, we got news that Meghan (and the royal family) are just hoping to "ride out" this negative wave of publicity until the focus turns to something more positive...perhaps to that royal baby that we'll be seeing soon.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.

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