TORONTO -- The estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex, Thomas Markle, has accused Prince Harry and Meghan of 鈥渃heapening鈥� the Royal Family by stepping down from their senior roles.
鈥淪he actually got every girl's dream. Every young girl wanted to become a princess and she got that鈥� it looks like she鈥檚 tossing it away for money,鈥� Markle said during an interview with Alaska TV/Channel 5. Markle鈥檚 comments come a day after Buckingham Palace announced the couple would no longer be working members of the Royal Family.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e destroying it. They鈥檙e cheapening it, they鈥檙e making it shabby. They鈥檙e turning it into a Walmart with a crown on it.鈥�
Buckingham Palace announced Saturday that Prince Harry and Meghan will no longer use their 鈥渞oyal highness" titles or receive public funds for royal duties. The new arrangement comes after the couple鈥檚 bombshell announcement earlier this month that they wish to 鈥渟tep away鈥� from their official roles.
Markle, whose strained relationship with his daughter complicated her entry into the Royal Family, said he is 鈥渆mbarrassed鈥� by Harry and Meghan鈥檚 decision, describing them as 鈥渓ost souls.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of embarrassing to me,鈥� he said as part of the interview.
鈥淲hen they got married they took on an obligation. The obligation is to be part of the royals and represent the royals and it would be foolish for them not to.鈥�
Markle was due to walk Meghan down the aisle at her May 2018 wedding, but pulled out at the last minute, citing heart problems. Since then, he has spoken out about his estranged daughter in several interviews to the media.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are currently embroiled in legal action against the Mail on Sunday newspaper for publishing a private letter the Duchess wrote to her father. The civil lawsuit accuses the newspaper of copyright infringement, misuse of private information and violating the U.K.'s data protection law with the publication of the letter.
Further complicating matters, Markle could be called to testify against the couple in court.
鈥淭his has been a real sad side show of her period in the Royal Family,鈥� CTV鈥檚 royal commentator Richard Berthelsen told 麻豆传媒 Channel Sunday.
鈥淥ne of the things that obviously driving the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from the Royal Family is the media coverage, particularly the British tabloid press who have paid Mr. Markle on occasion and tried to catch him in lies and duplicity.鈥�
Berthelsen says the latest interview from Meghan鈥檚 estranged father is yet another example of what drove the couple to leave their post.
