Meghan's father accuses daughter of 'cheapening' UK's royal family

LONDON (Reuters) - Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, has accused his daughter of “cheapening” the British royal family, in part of an interview released a day after Buckingham Palace said Prince Harry and his wife would no longer be working members of the monarchy.

The palace announced on Saturday that the couple would no longer use their “Royal Highness” titles and would pay their own way in life. The monarchy had been thrown into turmoil earlier this month when Harry, 35, and his American former actress wife announced that they wanted to reduce their official duties and spend more time in North America.

Thomas Markle, who is estranged from his daughter, told Channel 5 news in a documentary that he believed Meghan, 38, was tossing away “every girl’s dream”.

“It’s disappointing because she actually got every girl’s dream. Every young girl wants to become a princess and she got that and now she’s tossing that away, for, it looks like she’s tossing that away for money,” Markle said.

The interview was filmed after the couple’s announcement that they would step back as senior members of the royal family. Channel 5 released part of the interview on Sunday and said the full documentary would air “in the coming weeks”.

Thomas Markle described the royal family as “one of the greatest long-living institutions ever”, saying that when Meghan married Harry in May 2018 they took an obligation “to be part of the royals and to represent the royals”.

“This is like one of the greatest long-living institutions ever,” he said. “They are destroying it, they are cheapening it, they’re making it shabby ... They are turning it into a Walmart with a crown of it now. It is something that is ridiculous, they shouldn’t be doing this.”

Thomas Markle and his daughter have been estranged since her marriage to Harry.

Earlier this month, the Mail on Sunday newspaper submitted its defense to court action by Meghan over the publication of a private letter she sent to her father.

Thomas Markle said he did not expect Meghan to get in contact.

“I can’t see her reaching out to me, especially now ... or Harry for that matter, but I think both of them are turning into lost souls at this point,” he said.

“I don’t know what they’re looking for. I don’t think they know what they are looking for.”