Abusive or kind? What did we learn of Meghan Markle’s parents in her docuseries?

Meghan Markle has been desperately in need of her parents. Since marrying Prince Harry, she’s been the subject of a level of press bullying unseen since Princess Diana. It would send anyone in her shoes running into the supportive arms of their mom & dad.

She’s found solace in her mother Doria Ragland. Doria was at her wedding, gets along with her husband, and has been a constant source of parental love. However, Meghan’s relationship with her father Thomas Markle Sr. is a little bit more complicated.

Meghan’s new docuseries Harry & Meghan really shines a light on these relationships. More importantly, they expose where those relationships have helped her and where they’ve brought her pain. What exactly does this new docuseries have to say about Doria & Thomas Sr.?

Dear Mama

On May 19th, 2018, Doria cut a gorgeous figure in a light green suit. She rode in by Meghan’s side as she arrived at St George’s Chapel for the big day. She had her freshly-twisted locs pull back beneath a match cap. She looked every bit the part of the mother of the bride.

Doria was even escorted by then-Prince Charles as they made their way into the building. Of Meghan Markle’s parents, she’s been the most present. In Harry & Meghan, Meghan talks about their great relationship and how much she loves her mother.

According to the Duchess of Sussex, Doria is a daring woman who isn’t afraid to take a chance. She loves to have fun, but she’s also steadfast in any storm. Sounds like she’s exactly who Meghan has needed in some of the more difficult moments of her life recently.

Don’t preach

Thomas Sr., on the other hand, was nowhere to be found on that lovely day. You’d think that both parents of Meghan Markle would want to be there for such a joyous occasion. Instead, he was in the hospital after having allegedly suffered two heart attacks. Only two days later, though, Los Angeles paparazzi spotted him in a McDonald’s drive-thru.

That wasn’t the last time Thomas Sr. publicly let his daughter down and it wouldn’t be the last. He’s constantly throwing Meghan under the bus for the sake of publicity. He claimed he’d been texting her non-stop prior to her wedding with no response on her end.

Meghan explains in her docuseries that she thought her father’s phone had been compromised. She claims the wording of texts was drastically different from his norm with him calling her Meghan when he’s always called her Meg. Either way, it sounds like they had a communication breakdown in more ways than one.

Bittersweet

If you have a tormented relationship with your family you can always make a docuseries. While selling our family story to Oprah Winfrey might not be an option for everyone, sometimes it’s the only way to get your point across. The royal couple has been very strategic in the way they’ve managed their personal information.

This time, the two are airing their personal business on Netflix. Prince Harry gets personal about his feelings toward the British Royal Family. Meghan Markle also digs deep to get candidate conversations about what she thinks about both of her parents.

The most shocking part of the docuseries, though, is their willingness to call out the British Press. They’ve both spoken almost in code up until now. Careful references to institutional racism have been hidden in careful words. The gloves are off, though, and the couple has started getting real.

Bad blood

It’s no wonder, then, that Meghan Markle is causing waves with how she speaks of her parents. Neither she nor Prince Harry are holding back anymore. The Sussexes are almost painfully honest in opening their lives for public consumption this time around.

It doesn’t help that Meghan’s half-siblings are now following in their father’s footsteps. Samantha Grant & Thomas Markle Jr. are hitting back against the Duchess with their own accusations. To them, it’s all a disrespectful sham to make their side of the family look bad.

Things between them weren’t always so bad. Meghan says that prior to Thomas Sr. being exposed to the glitz of her new royal position, she “had a father.” Prince Harry followed up with, “It’s amazing what people would do when offered a huge amount of money.” It makes you wonder about the price of loyalty when backstabbing is so cheap.