Inside the troubled lives of Meghan Markle's parents: From racial prejudice to bankruptcy

Inside the troubled lives of Meghan Markle's parents

Meghan Markle not only made her mark in Hollywood through her memorable portrayal of Rachel Zane in 'Suits' but also became a royal by marrying UK's Prince Harry. However, the Duchess of Sussex is not alien to troubled pasts and family lives. Her parents - Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland - have had quite a difficult life. From battling ill health to marital discord, Meghan Markle's parents have seen it all.

1. Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland's short and contentious marriage

Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland tied the knot in 1979 and went on to welcome Meghan in 1981. However, their mariage wasn't a happy one as after a few initial years of marital bliss, the relationship degenerated. In the documentary titled, 'Thomas Markle: My Story', Meghan's father confessed, "It went well for a while but I wasn't home enough. Doria had other interests as well. What was going on in that household at that time wasn't making me happy." He added, "Then we divorced after that. The whole family split up at that time. Doria moved with Meghan to a nice little house and I would see her on weekends and whenever I could." He also added that he wasn't always present there as a father figure to Meghan. The Duchess of Sussex's brother Tom Markle Jr opened up about the difficult fights during an interview with InTouch Weekly, saying, "I saw the frustration, I saw the fighting, I saw all of this go down. Some of my dad and Doria's fights were pretty horrendous, pretty loud, a lot of yelling and screaming," per The Mirror.

2. Meghan Markle's mother faced racial stereotyping

Meghan's mother Doria was subjected to racial prejudice when she moved to Los Angeles with Thomas Markle. The couple took residence in a predominantly White neighborhood where Doria faced racial prejudices. In an interview with Elle, Meghan shared that the complexion difference between her and Doria fueled such prejudice. The 'Suits' actress shared, "There was my mom, caramel in complexion with her light-skinned baby in tow, being asked where my mother was since they assumed she was the nanny." She also shared another instance where Doria was called the N-word while the mother-daughter duo went for a concert in Hollywood Bowl. She shared, "I just remember my mom, the grip that her hands had on the steering wheel. You could, it was so tight, like the knuckles get all white, and she was just silent the rest of the drive home. We never talked about it."

3. Doria Ragland lost her parents within a decade of one another

Doria, 67, lost her mother when she was 44. Just within a decade, she also lost her father Alvin in an unfortunate accident where he tangled his legs in a dog leash and fell down on the ground. He sustained injuries and required a brain surgery. Tragically, he died after a few days aged 82. 

4. Thomas Markle went bankrupt

Even though Thomas Markle won a lottery in 1990, he went bankrupt in 2016. Meghan's half-sister Samantha alleged in 2018 that Meghan did not help her father even during his financial stress. She shared with Inside Edition: "He was very clear with her about the fact that he needed some help and by his report, twice, she flatly refused. I live on a lot less than she does and he really had to chew on his pride to call me and ask me for help." Nevertheless, Samantha's claims were proved false as legal documents released in 2020 showed that the 'Suits' actress regularly sent money to Thomas from 2014 until she married Harry.

5. Thomas Markle suffered two heart attacks and a stroke

Apart from depreciating finances, Thomas Markle also found his health dwindling. Before Meghan's wedding day, he suffered two heart attacks and had to miss the ceremony. He shared with Daily Mail, "I had two heart attacks, the second of which the doctor called a widow-maker and nearly killed me." In 2022, he suffered a stroke after falling down. Though the father-daughter duo had a rocky relationship throughout Meghan's adult life, Thomas shared with Australia's 7News that he would like reconcile with Meghan, given his deteriorating health.