Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made news this month as they announced that they were planning on stepping down from their roles as ‘senior’ members of the royal family, hoping to become financially independent.
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‘After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution,’ the statement read. ‘We intend to step back as “senior” members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen’.
The statement continued: ‘It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.’
It was then announced over the weekend that the couple would be losing their royal titles and paying back the millions spent on the renovations of Frogmore Cottage.
While the royal couple were undoubtedly expecting that their resignation would ruffle a few feathers, surely nothing could have prepared them for the intense backlash they have faced.
Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland reportedly announced earlier this week that Meghan is ‘strong’ and would ‘always be OK’. It was her father Thomas Markle’s reaction however that caused the most news.
Speaking in depth to Channel 5 since what is being dubbed ‘Megxit’, Thomas announced: ‘I’m Archie’s grandpa. I’m Thomas Markle. This is my story.’
‘With Meghan and Harry separating from the Royals… it’s disappointing because she actually got every girl’s dream,’ he recalled in the Channel 5 documentary, Thomas Markle: My Story. ‘Every young girl wants to become a princess and she got that and now she’s tossing that away. It looks like she’s tossing that away for money.’
He later continued: ‘When they got married they took on an obligation, and the obligation is to be part of the Royals and to represent the Royals. And it would be foolish for them not to.
‘This is one of the greatest long-living institutions ever. They are destroying it, they are cheapening it.’
Meghan and Thomas are reported not to have spoken since before the wedding, with Thomas reportedly telling Channel 5 in the documentary, ‘I can’t see her reaching out to me, especially now, and in light of what I’m saying now she probably won’t, or Harry for that matter.’
Thomas Markle: My Story will air on Wednesday night at 9pm.
This article originally appeared on marie claire UK.
