Thomas Markle Recalls the Childhood Moment He Realized Meghan Was Going to Be a ‘Star’
A new book reveals that a red-carpet moment was when Thomas realized Meghan’s strong desire to be “the star.”
Meghan Markle always seems to be the talk of the town, and recently, an insight from her father has given a peek into her childhood. Thomas Markle, the actress’s father, once shared a story with royal author Tom Bower that he felt said a lot about Markle’s personality from a very young age. According to him, she always liked being noticed and wanted to be the one everyone looked at.
Her father, who has been estranged from the Duchess of Sussex for several years now, reportedly remembered taking her to a red carpet event when she was about five years old. Since he worked as a lighting director in Hollywood, she got to see that glamorous world up close. He said the experience led to a conversation with 5-year-old Markle that stayed with him for years and made him believe she always wanted to be “the star.”
Bower, the author of Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family, shared on The Daily Expresso podcast, “Her (Meghan’s) father, who is a good man and she’s treated appallingly, told me of this instance when she was 5 years old… And she said, 'Daddy, I want to do this; I want to be the star.' And that was it; she wanted to be the star.”
Bower went on to argue that Markle eventually became “the star” through her marriage to Prince Harry, who he described as a global star himself. The author added that rather than simply being satisfied with that role and accepting the structure that came with royal life, she was determined to do things on her own terms and wanted greater control over how that life would look.
However, this is not the first time Bower has shared his polarizing opinions on Harry and Markle. In his book, he previously claimed that Queen Camilla once told a friend she felt Markle had “brainwashed” Harry. He also looked closely at Harry and Markle’s relationship with Prince William and Kate Middleton. Apparently, tensions between the couples had already started building long before Harry and Markle left the UK. Although they were once seen as close and were famously dubbed the “Fab Four” after the Duchess joined the Royal Family, the royal expert said that dynamic reportedly began to unravel fairly quickly.
Nevertheless, Harry and Markle were quick to push back against the bombshell claims. A rep of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in response, “Mr. Bower’s commentary has long crossed the line from criticism into fixation. Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him.”
The statement also said that Bower had publicly stated that the monarchy seemed to depend on “obliterating the Sussexes from our state of life,” adding that the language spoke for itself. They also said he had built a career out of creating increasingly elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met.
