Meghan Markle’s family says not seeing Archie is ‘like a dagger to her dad’s heart’

Meghan Markle’s estranged sister has said their dad was ‘sad’ when he saw pictures of his grandson for the first time.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their first child, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, into the world on Monday.

But Samantha Markle, who hasn’t seen her half-sister for more than a decade, has said she and her family in America are feeling left out.

She told the Mirror that although she is delighted at the birth of her nephew, she thought it was wrong for their dad Thomas Markle to not have been part of the celebrations.

Samantha said: ‘It’s sad. He should have been involved. Being excluded is like a dagger through his heart.’

She added that Thomas, 74, was sat in traffic when he saw the first pictures of his new grandson, which was a ‘sad moment for him’.

However, Samantha said he would be happy to see Archie having a familial resemblance to him, as the newborn has ‘the Markle nose’.

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Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, has been in London with her daughter and was present for Archie’s birth.

Meanwhile, Thomas is 5,500 miles away at his home in Mexico.

The Duchess has now not seen or spoken to her father for almost a year, after he was caught selling photos of himself to paparazzi in the run up to her wedding.

Shortly after Archie’s birth, Thomas said he hopes his grandson will ‘serve with dignity’, as he sent his best wishes to his daughter.

Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jnr, says he hopes Archie’s birth could lead to The Duchess reuniting with her family.

He told the Express: ‘Meghan is going to become a different person as a mother and her family element is going to set in and she is going to become a different woman.

‘She is going to want more family. She is going to want to heal these rifts and I think she will reach out.

‘I would like that and my father definitely would like that. He is hurt. He wants his grandchild in his life and he wants Meghan back.’

Thomas Markle has previously hit out at Meghan in the media, and wrote a letter to Prince Harry urging him not to marry his half-sister.