Thomas Markle Launches A Brand New Attack On Meghan And Harry Over Prince Philip's Memorial
The passing of Prince Philip hit the British royal family hard. After being forced to hold a scaled-down funeral due to the pandemic, Queen Elizabeth II wanted to make sure that his memorial service was filled with sentimental touches. Senior members of the family, including the queen, Camilla Parker Bowles, and Princess Anne, wore green to subtly honor the prince at his service, as his livery color was Edinburgh Green. Additionally, the church was filled with orchids, the flower featured in Queen Elizabeth's wedding bouquet (per the BBC).
Roughly 1,800 guests were in attendance, including Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. Even Prince Andrew — who has withdrawn from public life due to scandal — was there. He was Queen Elizabeth's travel companion for the memorial and arrived with her at Westminster Abbey before the service began.
Most noticeably absent, however, were Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle. The pair decided to skip the memorial due to security concerns. When the couple stepped down from their royal duties in 2020, they were stripped of their right to personally funded police security in the U.K. (via Vanity Fair). Harry is seeking a judicial review against the decision and has said he will not bring his family into the country without additional protection (per People).
While the royal family have stayed mum about Harry and Meghan's absence during the memorial service, Meghan's father, Thomas Markle, definitely had something to say about it.
Thomas Markle thinks Harry and Meghan's decision was 'a slap in the face for the queen'
Thomas Markle is speaking out about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to skip Prince Philip's memorial service, calling it "a slap in the face for the Queen and the British people" (via YouTube). Markle went on to say, "Attending and giving respect and giving God's grace to Prince Philip for a lifetime of service was very important to the Queen." The remarks were made on Markle's YouTube channel, Remarkable Friendship, which he shares with Karl Larsen.
The Duchess' father added, "It was unforgivable," for Meghan and Harry to skip the memorial service. "The British people won't forgive them for that, and they shouldn't," he said. Apparently, Markle isn't the only one who believes the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a big mistake by not attending the event, especially since Harry is expected to travel to Holland for the Invictus Games soon.
"All this nonsense about how he couldn't get protection, as far as I'm concerned that was a pathetic excuse. He should've been here to honor his grandfather," Richard Griffin, who served as a royal protection officer for Prince Philip, told the Daily Mail. Royal expert Robert Jobson believes that the couple's decision will most likely widen the rift between Harry and his family. "It's disappointing [because there] doesn't appear to be any serious reason why he can't be there," Johnson told Us Weekly.