Meghan Markle’s terribly upbeat Christmas special of ‘With Love, Meghan’ aired earlier this week, just a few days before the world heard the sad news that her father, Thomas Markle, 81, had undergone a life-saving leg amputation and remains hospitalised in intensive care.
Before the news emerged, the Duchess of Sussex embraced her predictable routine of Netflix promotion on Instagram. From uploading behind-the-scenes snippets to Michael Bublés Christmas songs, or resharing how much fun her guests had on set, Meghan was in full swing with promo.
But Meghan needs to be extremely careful going forward, from a PR perspective. Actively promoting a cheery, holiday-themed special, built around family, cosiness and seasonal cheer at a moment when her father is critically ill, smacks of insensitivity.
Thomas Markle, who has been estranged from his daughter since her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, recently underwent a leg amputation following surgery in the Philippines, where he moved to this year.
His son, Thomas Markle junior, who is his carer, told news outlets of how the former Hollywood lighting director was being extremely “brave”.
He SAID: “His foot turned blue and then black. It happened very quickly. I took him to a local hospital and they did some scans and an ultrasound and said the leg had to be amputated. There was no option. I was told the leg had to be removed and it was a case of life or death.”
Following the latest health developments of Mr Markle, it appears Meghan Markle is showing a moment of compassion towards her ill father. A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex said: “I can confirm she has reached out to her father.”
Mr Markle, a retired television lighting director and director of photography, made headlines across the globe after he was caught staging paparazzi photographs in the days ahead of the ceremony – in the months and years that followed, it’s understood Meghan had not been in contact at all with the man who raised her.
At the start of this year, Mr Markle told news outlets of how he dreamed of bringing his “whole family together” and wished his daughter “no ill-will”.
When I sat down to watch ‘With Love, Meghan’ on December 3, I thought the show stressed festive traditions, warmth and togetherness, all themes that celebrate strong family bonds.
But the recent news of her own father’s suffering made me think that behind the cheerful smile of Meghan’s lies a complicated family life. Mr Markle, sadly, a very unwell man, has not yet had a chance to experience the love and excitement grandchildren can bring – because of Meghan’s distance. And Archie and Lilibet, simultaneously, have not received the warmth and love from him in return.
I’m sure Meghan and her team had originally planned to continue promoting the show with various posts online. But when a public figure continues with glossy marketing plans at such times, it can look like they prioritise career and image over empathy and family loyalty.
I would expect at least a brief pause, or a meaningful gesture of care and concern, before launching more celebratory, high-visibility projects – such as pushing Meghan’s chocolate bars. In her case, pushing ahead with promoting a Christmas special may reinforce this narrative of emotional distance.
While the special was aired before Mr Markle’s medical emergency, and there would have been no malicious intent, context does matter. Timing, optics and underlying family history make promoting a ‘holiday special’ seem self-indulgent, which only compounds negative perceptions.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
