Since joining the Royal Family, Meghan Markle has been in a feud with her estranged family.
The Duchess of Sussex received backlash and criticism from her half-sister Samantha Markle and fell out with her dad, Thomas Markle.
Here’s a complete timeline of the feud from the moment it began to where they all stand now.
Meghan Markle feud with her family
2016
Meghan began dating Prince Harry in 2016 and that’s when the feud began between the former actress and her family.
Read more: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle fans divided over new Tom Bradby interview
In November, Meghan’s half-sister Samantha accused her of being a “shallow social climber”.
At the time, she told Radar: “The Royal Family would be appalled by what she’s done to her own family.
“The truth would kill her relationship with Prince Harry, he wouldn’t want to date her anymore because it puts her in a bad public light.”
2017
In April of 2017, Samantha reginited the feud and revealed she was writing a tell-all book on Meghan.
At the time, she said the book would reveal all on what growing up with Meghan was like and would be titled The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister.
Samantha wrote on Twitter: “Maybe when she is more mature and she reads the book she’ll understand some of it. She won’t like some of it.”
On November 27 of 2017, Meghan and Harry announced their engagement.
The following day, Samantha appeared on Good Morning Britain to share her thoughts on the happy news. She gushed over her half-sister, calling her relationship with Harry “very real and normal”.
She added: “She’s overwhelmingly happy. I can see she’s just bubbling.”
Samantha also addressed their disputes, saying: “This is a joyous occasion, so I think any sort of misconception that was out there, we have let bygones be bygones and really just be happy moving forward.”
However, just weeks later, Samantha ranted on Twitter again after Harry referred to the Royal Family as the “family she’s never had”.
Samantha reportedly wrote: “Actually she has a large family who were always there with her and for her. No one was estranged, she was just too busy.”
2018 – before the wedding
In the lead-up to Meghan and Harry’s royal wedding, Samantha took several digs at her half-sister.
In January 2018, Samantha accused Meghan of not helping their father Thomas.
She took aim at the £56,000 Ralph & Russo gown Meghan wore in her and Harry’s official engagement photos.
During an interview with In Touch, Samantha said: “If you can spend $75,000 on a dress, you can spend $75,000 on your dad.”
In April 2018, Samantha slammed Meghan for inviting 2,000 members of the public to the nuptials but not her family.
Meanwhile, during an interview on Loose Women in May 2018, Samantha said she hadn’t been invited to the wedding and would watch it on TV.
In May 2018, allegations emerged claiming Meghan’s dad Thomas had liaised with a picture agency to pose for staged photographs which he later admitted to.
He was photographed being measured for a suit and looking up pictures of Harry and Meghan at an internet cafe near his Mexico home.
Days later, he pulled out of the royal wedding and claimed he had suffered a heart attack days earlier.
Thomas Markle pulls out of wedding
He later said he wanted to walk his daughter down the aisle however he had to undergo heart surgery on May 16 so he might not make it.
On May 17, 2018, Meghan confirmed her dad would not be attending the wedding in a statement via Kensington Palace.
A statement from Ms. Meghan Markle: pic.twitter.com/TjBNarmuBU
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) May 17, 2018
2018 – After the wedding
After Harry and Meghan’s beautiful wedding day, the swipes from her family didn’t stop.
On May 22, Samantha reportedly took to Twitter to criticise the new Duchess of Sussex for not mentioning her dad in her speech.
She wrote: “So she didn’t mention my dad and his shout out at the reception either? I guess she ignored the bishop’s sermon about love and forgiveness.”
Meanwhile, in July 2018, Samantha made a series of digs at her estranged sister such as calling Meghan the “Duchess of Nonsense” and saying Harry should have married his ex Cressida Bonas.
Later that month, she appeared on Good Morning Britain and begged Meghan to get in touch with her father.
She said: “It is so critical and unfair that if there’s a misunderstanding she needs to clarify because life is very short.
“He’s 74 and I felt as though if something were to happen to him and he passed away I don’t think any of us could live with the fact he died unhappy and there was not closure.
“I believe she would want that also.”
Meanwhile, Thomas claimed the Palace had “cut him off” during an interview.
He told the Daily Mail in July 2018: “I used to have a phone number and text number for her personal aides at the Palace.
“But after I said a few critical words about the Royal Family changing Meghan, they cut me off.”
He also appeared on GMB in December 2018 and claimed Meghan had “ghosted” him.
He said: “I wish she would reach out, send me a text, anything.”
2019
In February 2019, a private letter Meghan wrote to her father emerged.
In it, she reportedly said her father had “broken [her] heart into a million pieces” for causing her “unnecessary and unwarranted pain”.
Meanwhile, in March 2019, Samantha criticised Meghan in a Channel 5 documentary called, Meghan and the Markles: A Family at War.
Speaking about Meghan and her dad Thomas, Samantha said: “She doesn’t have a heart or she would have been doing everything she could to make him comfortable and reciprocate and be loving and gracious and make sure he’s comfortable in his old age.”
Meanwhile, in May 2019, Meghan and Harry welcomed their first child together, son Archie.
At the time, Thomas issued a statement to The Sun saying he was “proud that my new grandson is born into the British royal family”.
2020
In January 2020, Meghan and Harry announced they would be stepping down from their senior royal roles.
They officially stepped down on March 31.
The following month, Thomas spoke out after the couple confirmed they would not be using Sussex Royal in their branding.
Speaking to TMZ, he said: “I’m very upset with Meghan and Harry right now.
“I don’t think they have a right to speak to the queen the way they’re talking to her. I think it’s an insult to the queen and to the British people.”
Meanwhile, in July 2020, Thomas slammed the couple for “whining” and “complaining”.
He told The Sun newspaper: “This is the worst time in the world for them to be whining and complaining about anything – because people everywhere are suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I love my daughter but I really don’t appreciate what she’s become right now.”
2021
It’s unknown whether Meghan is back in contact with her father and half-sister.
However, in January 2021, Thomas confirmed he was planning to release a tell-all documentary about his life.
He told The Sun: “It begins with my life, my family, my love of theatre and television and how I got there.
Read more: Thomas Markle to release documentary about ‘what went wrong’ with daughter Meghan
“Then my life with Meghan, growing up, her school days until she went off to college, and when her career began.”
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