Meghan hints at sadness over rift with Thomas Markle as she shares Maya Angelou’s poem about ‘missing your parents’ in message to charity
She’s known for hiding secret messages in her choice of attire, and now Meghan Markle may have done the same in her message to a UK charity.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, shared heartwarming words to the programme of a fundraising carol concert at St Marylebone Parish Church in London for Smart Works on Tuesday – of which she has been a patron since 2019.
In addition to the message, Meghan shared a reading of Maya Angelou’s reflective poem, called I’ve Learned, People reported.
The reflective piece is brimming with emotionally charged words, listing the life lessons that one comes to discover with time and the importance of giving back.
Nestled within the reading is a striking line discussing parent-child relationships, which reads: ‘I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.’
It’s a line that may have particularly resonated with Meghan, who is thought to still be estranged from her father Thomas Markle, 80.
Their relationship hasn’t always been that way, and a blog post from the Duchess of Sussex’s now-defunct website The Tig revealed the affection that she once held for her ‘hardworking daddy’ before he was shut out of her life.
Now, as the festive period fast approaches, a time famous for forgiveness, Meghan’s choice of poem may be hinting that she is missing her father.
Meghan Markle chose Maya Angelou’s poem called I’ve Learned to be read at Smart Works Christmas carol event, which may be a hint that she’s missing her father, Thomas Markle (pictured)
Despite Meghan’s differences with her father, she shares a close bond with her mother, Doria Ragland (seen at at Cliveden House Hotel in 2018)
Thomas, a retired lighting director, has not spoken to his youngest daughter since 2018, despite allegedly making multiple attempts to reach out.
It’s thought that their relationship first became strained when he posed for paparazzi photographs prior to Meghan’s royal wedding in 2018.
The 80-year-old also suffered a heart attack just before the ceremony, preventing him from walking his daughter down the aisle.
Since then, Meghan and Harry have not communicated with Thomas, and he has never had the opportunity to meet his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibett.
‘I’ve had a good life and I am proud of what I’ve accomplished, but everything has been overshadowed by what has happened in the last six years,’ he told Mail Online earlier this year.
‘I’ve never been one for birthdays, but I know the one person I most want to hear from, Meghan, won’t be in touch.’
Thomas has a cliffside home in Rosarito, Mexico, 250 miles from the Sussexes’ 16-bathroom mansion in Montecito.
His living room is proudly brimming with memories of Meghan, including her graduation photos from the Little Red Schoolhouse kindergarten and Immaculate Heart High School.
Thomas was expected to be present at Meghan’s wedding – but was unable to attend after suffering from a heart attack
The mother-daughter duo share a close bond, with the mother nicknaming her royal daughter ‘flower’
The Duchess (seen yesterday evening at The Paley Honors Fall Gala Honoring Tyler Perry) previously gushed over her father on her now defunct blog, The Tig
There is also a photograph of the father and daughter attending the Emmy Awards when Meghan was around 10-years-old.
The award-winning lighting director grew up in Pennsylvania with his parents and two siblings.
His mother Doris worked behind the sweet counter at a local ‘five-and-dime’ store, while his father Gordon was a printer at Olmsted Air Force Base outside the family’s hometown of Newport.
Thomas Markle’s career began in high school, working on theatre productions before landing a position at WTTW public television in Chicago.
He spent a decade on the live music programme Soundstage, rubbing shoulders with music stars, like Aretha Franklin and Billy Joel.
After his divorce from his first wife Rosalyn, the mother of his oldest children Samantha and Tom Jr, Thomas decided to pursue opportunities in Hollywood.
He became the lighting director for two prominent shows, General Hospital and Married With Children.
Meghan’s mother, Doria, worked as a secretary at the same studio where she and Thomas later began a relationship. However, they divorced when Meghan was two.
Doria is snapped alongside Harry and Meghan at the Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards last May
80-year-old Thomas was not present at Meghan and Harry’s wedding at St Georges Chapel on May 19, 2018 in Windsor
As Doria ventured into an import and export business that required extensive travel, Meghan moved in with her father full-time at the age of 11.
After school, Meghan would frequently join Thomas on set. The pair shared a close bond – Thomas would rise at 5am each morning to help his daughter straighten her hair before school.
Writing in her now defunct website The Tig, Meghan made a Father’s Day post dedicated to Thomas in 2014.
She called him ‘thoughtful, inspiring, hardworking’ and praised him for the ‘blood, sweat and tears this man (who came from so little in a small town of Pennsylvania, where Christmas stockings were filled with oranges, and dinners were potatoes and spam) invested in my future so that I could grow up to have so much.’
The Duchess recalled her father ‘religiously’ taking her to her dance classes every Saturday morning – despite working 75+ hours a week.
She also noted his determination to light her high school musicals, as well as the fishing trips the duo would enjoy and the lessons he taught her – including writing thank you notes and to always be early to occasions.
However, the 80-year-old claimed that Meghan’s fame altered his daughter’s personality. ‘The person she’s become isn’t the girl I raised,’ he explained.
‘She started to change when she lived in Canada filming Suits and was hanging out with the Soho House [an exclusive members’ club and hotel chain] crowd.
Meghan was appointed as a patron of Smart Works in January 2019, when she and Prince Harry were residing in the UK
‘She began acting entitled. Things escalated after she met Harry. It upsets me that the Markle name is now associated with negativity. People talk about being ‘Markled’ when they get dumped for no reason. That saddens me.’
Despite difference with her father, Meghan is known to have a close relationship with her mother – 68-year-old Doria Ragland.
During her speech in Colombia earlier this year, Meghan said her mother is one of the women who inspires her the most, before adding that life can be ‘full of surprises’ and ‘quite complex’.
The mother-daughter pair are close, with Doria still calling her daughter ‘Flower’. She attended Meghan’s wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 and also reportedly moved in with the couple and their son Archie in California in 2020.
She worked as social worker and a yoga instructor who has worked with the geriatric community.
Doria was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to a nurse mother and an antique dealer father and moved to Los Angeles with her family when she was a baby.
In 2022, she became an unexpected star after she took a leading role in the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix series.
Speaking straight to camera, the mother was quizzed by producers about the first time her daughter told her about her new royal romance back in 2016.
Pictured: Meghan Markle with her mother Doria Ragland arriving at Windsor Castle ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry on May 19, 2018 in Windsor, England
Recalling their phone conversation, Doria says Meghan – who was starring as Rachel Zane in Suits at the time – whispered: ‘Mommy, I’m going out with Prince Harry.’ Doria said: ‘I started whispering [and said] ‘oh my god!’
The mother and daughter also recount their experiences of the duchess’ childhood, with Meghan saying people assumed Doria was her nanny.
Doria said she felt like her daughter was ‘very mature’ and ’empathic’ – and shares how Meghan once told her she viewed her as a ‘controlling older sister’ rather than a mother.
She made another cameo on daughter’s podcast in 2022, when she FaceTimed her while she was recording.
The Duchess of Sussex said the spontaneous moment made her reflect on the way in which Doria, who lives close by in Los Angeles, has supported her throughout her life.
Elsewhere, during Tuesday’s Smart Works carol concert, which helps unemployed women with clothing and coaching to secure work, Meghan shared a heartwarming message.
According to an image of the programme shared by People magazine, Meghan said: ‘As proud patron, it is my pleasure to warmly welcome you all this evening to the Smart Works Carol Concert.
‘Tonight promises to be a truly magical celebration, filled with special guests and performers, and most importantly, the shared spirit of community that defines Smart Works.
‘Together we gather to honour the work and dedication of this remarkable organisation, which continues to empower women across the UK through coaching, dressing and instilling confidence on their journey to employment.
‘Thank you for giving your support by being here in St Marylebone Parish Church, under the beautiful haze of Christmas wreaths and candlelight.’
She continued: ‘In a year where the landscape for women in the workplace has continued to shift, Smart Works has stood as a steadfast source of encouragement. Their service is more than rediscovering employment, it is rediscovering empowerment.
‘As Smart Works continues to uplift the community, I hope you will continue to support them. I hope you enjoy the festivities, and, from my family to yours, I wish you a very Merry Christmas.’
Meghan was appointed as a patron of Smart Works in January 2019, back when she and Prince Harry were still residing in the UK – but since moving to the US, she has continued to support the organisation with a grant from her Archewell Foundation.
Smart Works has a team of 300 trained volunteers based in two London offices as well as centres in Edinburgh, Manchester, Reading, Birmingham and Newcastle.
