Archie and Lilibet 'miss out' on their 'birthright'

Thomas Markle has never met his grandchildren, but he is “very sad” about their upbringing.

Meghan Markle's estranged father recently told the Daily Mail that he felt Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, had been “denied the right to know their cousins” in the royal family.

The 79-year-old added that Prince William and Kate Middleton's three children – Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six – “seem like fantastic kids”.

Thomas called that family connection, as well as the opportunity to “participate in things like Trooping the Colour,” his grandchildren's “birthright.”

He noted: “They're getting to the age where they're going to start asking questions, like all kids do. I wonder how Archie and Lilibet will feel in a few years when they realize how much they've missed out on.”

The retired TV lighting director's comments came during the same interview in which he compared himself to Prince Harry's father, King Charles III.

“I would love to talk to him because I’m sure he has as many unanswered questions as I do,” Thomas said in June. “I have so many questions I would love to ask Meghan and Harry.”

“The main question is: why did they treat not only me but the royal family and the king so badly?” he continued, adding that he felt “deep empathy” for the 75-year-old monarch amid his battle with cancer.

Thomas, for his part, believes he is “in the same boat” because he is “not in very good health.”

Meghan, 42, has not had a relationship with her father for years, with Thomas having never met Harry, 39, and repeatedly criticising them in interviews.

Although the couple maintain a close bond with the former actress' mother, Doria Ragland, their relationship with the royal family has been strained since they left England in 2020.

Meghan and Harry have dazzled family members across the Atlantic in recent years with an interview with Oprah Winfrey, a Netflix docuseries and an explosive memoir.

Although Harry has visited family over the years, his wife often stays at their Montecito, California, home with their little ones.

The family of four skipped the parade last month for the second year in a row.

The event marked Middleton's first royal appearance while battling cancer.

The Princess of Wales, who revealed her diagnosis in March, was all smiles in a recycled white dress on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Hours before the big moment, Meghan unveiled her brand American Riviera Orchard's jam and dog biscuits, leading many to speculate that the launch was an attempt to steal the spotlight from her sister-in-law.

Meghan and Harry released a joint statement supporting Middleton through her health issues and have also reached out privately.