Inside Meghan Markle’s dysfunctional family
<p>You might think your own family is a bit dysfunctional, but chances are they’ve got nothing on the Markles.</p>
<p>The family of the royal-to-be have made countless headlines since Meghan and Prince Harry’s relationship was <a href="/news/news/2016/11/prince-harry-slams-media-treatment-of-meghan-markle/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">made public</span></strong></a>, and with their wedding just months away, the constant drama is causing more than a few headaches at Kensington Palace.</p>
<p>So, with so much going on with the Markle family, it’s about time we tried to keep track of who’s who.</p>
<p><strong>Doria Ragland – Meghan’s mother</strong></p>
<p>Meghan once described her mother, a yoga teacher and social worker, as a “free spirited clinical therapist” who took her to visit slums in Jamaica and Mexico as a child in order to raise her as a global citizen.</p>
<p>Meghan appears to be incredibly close to her mum, who joined her in the VIP box at Prince Harry’s Invictus Games in October, and it seems the red-haired royal is a big fan of Doria, describing her as “amazing” and reportedly asking for her blessing before proposing to Meghan.</p>
<p><strong>Thomas Markle – Meghan’s father</strong></p>
<p>Thomas was a two-time Emmy-winning lighting director on shows like <em>General Hospital</em> (where he met Doria) for years. When he and Doria got divorced, Meghan was just six years old and went to live with her mum – however, she did see her father regularly.</p>
<p>In a 2016 post on her now-deleted Instagram account, Meghan honoured her dad with a beautiful Father’s Day message. “Happy Father’s Day, daddy. I’m still your buckaroo, and to this day your hugs are still the very best in the whole wide world.”</p>
<p>He currently lives a quiet life in Mexico.</p>
<p><strong>Samantha Markle – Meghan’s half-sister</strong></p>
<p>Samantha Markle, 53, shares a father with Meghan, and although they spent time together growing up, reports suggest they have been estranged for years. Despite this, Samantha, a former actor and model who is wheelchair-bound with MS, is <a href="/news/news/2018/02/samantha-markle-unleashes-on-half-sister-meghan-in-scathing-new-interview/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">very vocal</span></strong></a> about her relationship with her soon-to-be royal half-sister.</p>
<p>In multiple interviews with the media, Samantha has labelled Meghan a “shallow”, “narcissistic” person bent on “social climbing”. “No one was estranged – she was just too busy,” she once told the media.</p>
<p>Two of Samantha’s daughters, Nicole Rasmussen and Ashleigh Hale, have jumped to Meghan’s defence, with the former calling her a “very nice”, “very sweet” and “very genuine” person. Rasmussen, who is not on speaking terms with Samantha, called her “abusive” and a “liar”.</p>
<p><strong>Thomas Markle Jr – Meghan’s half-brother</strong></p>
<p>Like his sister Samantha (from whom he’s also reportedly estranged), Thomas hasn’t been shy when it comes to speaking with the press. The 50-year-old recently shared email correspondence he had with his half-sister, who reportedly said “I don’t know those people,” referring to Thomas, who has had multiple run-ins with the law.</p>
<p>“That’s pretty harsh,” <a href="/news/news/2018/02/meghan-markle-says-she-doesnt-know-half-siblings/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Thomas told <em>In Touch</em></span></strong></a>, claiming he and Meghan were “as close as we could be”. However, Samantha <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2018/02/meghan-markles-estranged-sister-comes-to-her-defence-after-brothers-attack/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">disputed this</span></strong></a>, saying Thomas hasn’t seen the former <em>Suits</em> actress since she was 12.</p>
