EXCLUSIVE: How Meghan Markle Snubbed Queen's Pleas to End Her Estrangement With Father Thomas Markle After He Became a 'Royal Problem'

Meghan Markle flatly rejected pleas from Queen Elizabeth to reconcile with her father, Thomas Markle – with royal insiders claiming her refusal left both the late monarch and King Charles "exasperated beyond belief," RadarOnline.com can reveal.

The rift between Meghan, 44, and Thomas, 81, first erupted in the run-up to her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, now 40.

Thomas staged paparazzi photographs of himself being fitted for a suit and browsing pictures of the royal couple, later admitting the move was designed to improve his public image.

Days before the ceremony, he pulled out, citing health problems, sparking chaos for the bride and further damaging relations between father and daughter.

A royal insider claimed about the fallout: "The Queen took a practical view. She felt that if Meghan had quietly gone to Mexico to speak with Thomas, the drama would have ended.

"But Meghan rejected the idea outright. Her reasons didn't seem genuine, and both Charles and the Queen recognized that. They believed she simply didn't want to repair the relationship."

Royal author Tom Bower wrote in his 2022 book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors that senior royals attempted to intervene after Thomas gave his first paid television interview on the U.K. breakfast show Good Morning Britain.

Bower said: "Meghan's father remained a problem. Ever since their previous conversations three days before the wedding, Thomas Markle's attempts to re-establish contact with his daughter had failed."

"Gradually, Thomas Markle believed he was the victim of Meghan's blame-shifting and scapegoating."

According to Bower, Charles and the Queen joined Harry and Meghan on a conference call, urging her to visit her father after his paparazzi scandal.

Markle apparently rejected the proposal, reportedly insisting it was "unrealistic" for her to travel discreetly to a town she had never visited and risk causing greater media intrusion.

One palace aide claimed: "Her reaction left everyone puzzled. For the Queen, family was about forgiveness. Meghan's refusal seemed deliberate and unfeeling. Charles was annoyed, believing she was prioritizing pride over reconciliation."

In his memoir Spare, Harry described the turmoil Thomas caused before the wedding, admitting his wife spent months "soothing" her father, who was wounded by constant media coverage.

Harry added Thomas initially denied staging photos with the paparazzi, only to be exposed the following day.

In a message to the couple, Thomas is said to have admitted: "I'm so ashamed." Shortly after, he suffered a heart attack, cementing his absence from the wedding.

Despite her estrangement from her dad, Meghan has spoken warmly of her childhood with her father, who worked on television productions such as General Hospital and Married with Children to fund her private education.

But according to Bower, Thomas later said his daughter grew "controlling" and admitted he spoiled her.

Thomas has since given a string of interviews attacking the duchess, vowing to continue speaking publicly until she acknowledges him.

The Queen's frustration at Meghan's stance over her dad is also said to have been shared by Camilla, while Charles privately complained the duchess' excuses for not sorting out the issue "didn't add up."

A source added: "The issue ended up affecting not only Meghan but the whole family. The Queen didn't think she was unable to fix it – she believed she was unwilling to."

Thomas, who has never met Harry or his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet, has relocated to the Philippines with his son, Thomas Jr.

He said: "At 80, it is time to go somewhere peaceful with lovely people and kindness. Mostly, I just want peace. At 80, none of us know how long we have left. I want whatever time I have to be peaceful with none of the awful drama of recent years."