Thomas Markle programme

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

The empty seats beside Doria at the wedding were occupied later by parents of the bridesmaids and pages, who were with their children outside the chapel when that “Doria alone” shot was filmed.

Focus on improving your own lives You’ll get a lot more back that way

How very 'mother superior' of you, jHardy Feel better now you've polished your halo?

Personally, I'm finding all this a welcome distraction from my own life's trials and tribulations.

I bet I'm not the only one.

Well it's hard to tell who's the baddy. He was portrayed as 'all bad' as we only heard one side of the story. Now we know his side and a lot of things emerge about the early days. Anyway family estrangement is always sad, unless of course there are serious reasons for it.

I watched the programme and agreed with the above remarks that support him. Poor old man who is likely never to see his grandchild and vilified by the press. Yes he should have had proper advice and support at the beginning.
What is interesting is the mainly different opinions on mumsnet. Having read them and feeling the younger generation certainly see things differently I thought let’s look at Gransnet and was not at all surprised to see opinions in line with mine own.

I agree with artdecogran and ginny. He was foolish at times but he wasn't given the support he needed to know what to do or say when the press came knocking. So he made some mistakes but he helped his daughter the best way he could. He's got my sympathy.

IMO one should never make judgements from only one view point. None of us has any idea of who said, did, what and when. I find it very sad that seemingly intelligent people take one persons view and treat it as a basis to have a full unbiased opinion on the situation. Balanced views can only be decided upon on hearing all sides of an incident/story etc.

None of us has any idea of who said, did, what.

Anrol, Most of us are commenting on what we have heard and seen.

All in all Harry has made a terrible choice of wife. Tying up with this American family with values and life experience so very different from those of the Royal family can only be disastrous.
Coincidentally, I was recently reading about the abdication of Edward V111. There was a quote from his brother commenting on how he will miss him and how sad he was about it all. Obviously, its not quite the same for Harry but near enough. William has lost his brother to an American schemer.

Yes Jane10 the similarities with Edward and Wallis are really beginning to show. I agree Harry made a very bad choice of wife as far as family and Royal duty goes, but like Edward he fell in love and followed his heart down a very rocky road.

I think that he has brought it al on himself and can find not one skerric of sympathy for him.
We don't know what went on between him and Meghan, but just as soon as the engagement was announced, he is out there (along with his other daughter) blabbing about things that quite honestly are nobody elses business. They obviously expected the sympathy vote plus probably money from Meghan and Harry to quieten him and I have no doubt whatsoever that he will have been paid for the stories both in the newspapers and on TV.
I just hope he goes back under whichever stone he crawled out from under. Whatever has happened in the past is his responsiblity, no one elses.

I am not going to watch the programme but saw a review which said that she told the interviewer that Meghan had a caesarean. How could he know that if they hadn't been in touch? It sounds as if it is just something that he made up. In an event what sort of parent would divulge such personal information about an adult child that they claim to want to restore relations with.
That fact alone would make me want to never have anything to do with him again. He is doing this at a time that he knows is difficult for them. My father is unkind and capable of doing some pretty nasty things but even he wouldn't do that.

I adored my dad. If he'd told anyone in public about our family's dynamic or his father-daughter(s) - he had 3 daughters - relationship(s), I would probably never have spoken to him again, or let him see my children. If he'd sold family secrets to media repeatedly...

He's not the sharpest tool in the box by the look of things. American attitudes to public sharing seem to be very different from ours especially where 'slebs' are concerned. Money talks.

I don't think he was really out until he had the heart attack and failed to turn up to the wedding. Unless we go for a conspiracy he seems to have had every intention of being there. I think Prince Harry telling him to not speak to the press just shows how out of touch the Prince is with those who are unprotected. Plenty of ordinary people find the press on their doorstep for some reason and don't know what to do. It was a huge mistake not to look after him at the time of the wedding.

Whatever the relationship and its history, H&M’s handling of this has been terrible! Why wasn’t the PR in place? A visit to TM when they got engaged with a photo or two for the press.... Some advice and support for him about press intrusion and how to protect himself (and them).... No letters that could be ‘given’ to the press.....More photos with Archie and hugs and smiles all round. Perhaps there were real reasons why this couldn’t happen, but surely they could have pre-empted and avoided all the bitterness, dirty washing and bad publicity with some thoughtful planning. This has not helped MM promote her compassionate, caring woman image and she should have seen what was coming. Or perhaps she’s enjoying the drama and it’s reality TV impact on the RF.

ctussaud. I was puzzled about that bit about Doria being "seated in a corner on her own". You've made it clear what happened. I am much relieved. Thank you.

Meghan did not it appears, if what we observed on this programme , have an unhappy childhood the sort many experience when parents split. So where was her mother? Be nice to hear her side. Doubt this is going to happen.
What had her father done that were so unforgivable she was able to convince Harry she had no family.

Didn't watch the documentary, but did see the documentary maker interviewed on Jeremy Vine yesterday morning.

He confirmed that Thomas Markel got paid 10% of the budget for the documentary.

I just cannot understand this need to air ones "family laundry" in public.

Harry uses his mother

One of the reasons I have been wary of M is because of how she has treated her father.
I have mentioned this many times.....it is not a sign of a good heart to tell a man who gave her so much to tell him he will never see his grandson.
I am still amazed that she has been so openly callous and not really been pulled up on this by the media.
It must have broken his heart.

I haven't yet seen the TV prog , might watch it later

I think he keeps talking because it's all he can do

He did explain why he gave interviews

I watched and listened and the only one who can' tell it as it happened' is Doria.
Until we hear her side then we have no right to pass judgement. This I fear is highly unlikely.

I understood that Thomas M had very little to do with Meghan during her childhood and had barely seen her for years. We can't know what went on and it's not really for us to guess. He seems (to me) to be a self-serving whinger who wants a piece of the royal cake and has courted the media in order to get attention. I hate that Meghan gets blamed for rejecting him. She probably had good reason that she feels is not for sharing. And what kind of parent says, "They owe me". That's gross and rather threatening. Leave them all alone - maybe stop judging.

He said something about now intending to do anything he's paid for,as well as his closing comment about how they all 'owe him'.. I have to say he really came across to me as a loose cannon.

Apart from the lies he admitted, he said M was living with him when she went to college, though the voiceover said this was not true - maybe he believes things himself that are not true?

It's not clear how he could be protected from the media when he is in Mexico; and I haven't heard anything abot them camping out on her mother's doorstep..