Meghan Markle's estranged father has accused the Sussexes of quitting the Royal Family for money and says he believes they are 'destroying' the institution.
Thomas Markle Snr gave a scathing interview about his daughter and son-in-law as part of a new tell-all documentary about his strained relationship with the couple.
He also accused Prince Harry of being "way too sensitive" for suing over the publishing of a letter Meghan sent him in which she begs him to stop talking to journalists.
Speaking about their decision to step back from their royal duties and move to Canada with Archie, Thomas said: "It's disappointing because she actually got every girl's dream. Every young girl wanted to become a princess and she got that, and now she's tossing that away, for it looks like she's tossing it away for money.
"Apparently $3million and a 26-bedroom home isn't enough for them.
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"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 and they're destroying it. They're cheapening it and making it shabby.
"It's kind of embarrassing to me."
Thomas was interviewed over six days at his North West Mexico home last year for Channel 5's documentary Thomas Markle: My Story, describing the experience as like "like a long, long, long, long sit down with a shrink".
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The programme also features countless new videos and photos of Meghan when she was growing up.
Asked why he's decided to do the interview, which he was paid for, he said: "Because I want everyone to know that I'm not all the trashy things that are being said about me.
"I want Harry and Meghan to see this video and know that this is not fair.
"To them I don't exist and now Harry, whether he realises it or not, is part of my family and I'm part of his. We should be talking."
Thomas and Meghan's relationship has been extremely difficult after he was caught posing for staged photos in the lead up to the wedding – including snaps of him trying on a suit and reading a book about Britain.
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He's also given a number of TV interviews, accusing Meghan and Harry of refusing to speak to him, and gave a copy of a letter his daughter wrote to him to the Daily Mail, which they are currently suing over.
Thomas said: "He's not 12 years old any more, he's got no right to be this sensitive.
"There are other parts of the letter that I would never put out because they're too offensive and too hurtful to me. And that's where it's at now.
"I'm going to defend myself and I'm going to be paid for it. I don't care. At this point, they owe me. The Royals owe me. Harry owes me, Meghan owes me. What I've been through I should be rewarded for.
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"My daughter told me that when I reach my senior years she'll take care of me. I'm in my senior years now, it's time to look after daddy."
Thomas believes there's a good chance he'll never see his daughter again.
He said: "I can't see her reaching out to me. I think both of them are turning into lost souls, I don't know what they're looking for. I don't think they know what they're looking for.
"The last time they might see me is being lowered into the ground. I don't think at this point they are thrilled to see me or want to talk to me.
"We used to share everything, we used to share our good moments all the time and I miss all that, certainly the fact she's had her first child is a very important thing.
"She was the closest thing to me for years and years and years. I miss the way she was, I don't know who she is now – that's the problem."
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Filmed inside his home, you can see the shelves are covered in memorabilia of his daughter and grandson – including a royal wedding hip flash and a mug celebrating Archie's birth.
He said: "It's kind of painful because I wasn't there to share the experience.
"They're on everything. I actually heard that they're on a pack of condoms. I don't know if that's true or not."
Thomas also admits he cried as he watched Prince Charles walk his daughter down the aisle at St George's Chapel when the couple tied the knot back in May 2018.
He watched the wedding on a small TV in what he describes as a safe house after suffering a heart attack and having surgery which left him unable to fly.
He said: "My daughter looked beautiful. I wished that I could have been there with her. I was certainly appreciative that Charles was there and walking her down the aisle.
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"I was jealous of him, I really wanted to do that. I'll admit that I cried a little about that.
"To this day I can't forget that moment, but she looked beautiful and it was a nice wedding."
He looks back at happier times, sharing photos and videos from Meghan's childhood.
"When she was born I mean couldn't have been a happier man.
"She was born via c-section so I got to hold her first. I met her first and I fell in love with her and never stopped.
"She became the most special thing in my life. She's a natural beauty, she alway has been. I was just knocked out by that child.
"I think Meghan would say I did a very good job as a father. She was turning into a very nice young lady."
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Thomas also speaks about lying to Harry and Meghan about the staged photos he set up.
"Harry was furious with me and Meghan was furious with me, and I said I wanted to apologise.
"I said I want to apologise to the Queen and to the Royal Family, but I was told by them don't."
He claims he was still due to fly to the UK as they couple still wanted him at the wedding, but he then suffered a heart attack.
"It was bad. The doctor said it would kill me.
"I even asked my doctor, I said can I fly tomorrow and he laughed and said there is no way in hell you can fly anywhere.
"I spoke to Meghan and Harry. I think I rang them at this point because I had already told them I would be coming now. I called and said I can't come.
"I'm sure Meghan cried and was very upset, and Harry seemed upset.
Harry said to me 'if you had listened to me, this wouldn't have happened to you'.
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"To me that was a very rude thing to say, especially when he knew I was laying in a hospital bed.
"At that point I said to him 'it's too bad I didn't die because then you guys could pretend you were sad' and the I hung up on them. I was done.
"Now that may have caused everything, I don't know, but I've not heard from them or spoken to them since."
He also admits lying during his interview with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain, saying the couple had been checking in in a bid to improve their image.
"I never got cards, I never got flowers, I never got a phone call to see how I was doing."
While he admits he doesn't know if Meghan and Harry believed he was ill, he says he would have checked if it was the other way around.
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Speaking about his regret for setting up the staged photos, he says: "They'll haunt me for the rest of my life and follow me forever. I'll never be able to escape, it will always be there.
"I feel kind of stupid, I should have been a little smarter about it. I should have been a little less trusting."
Thomas claims he found out Meghan was expecting when he heard a news piece on the radio.
He said: "I was sitting in my car waiting to cross the border and I heard the good news from the royals is that Meghan is pregnant.
"Which is almost a joke when you tell people, well you heard it on the radio.
"This is my daughter, talking about my grandchild. She's going to have a grandchild that's mine. I'm not hearing about it on the phone, I'm hearing about it on the radio."
He saw Archie for the first time just like the rest of us – at the photocall at Windsor Castle when he was a few days old.
"The first time I saw picture was when Harry carried him out for the first time.
"He's a cute little kid. He's going to have his father's hair.
"I hope he has my nose then every time they see Archie they're going to see me."
- Thomas Markle: My Story will be on Channel 5 at 9pm on Wednesday, January 22.
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