Prince Harry was spotted at the rugby today in his first public appearance since the ‘devastating’ details of Meghan’s letter to her father were revealed, showing how she begged him to stop his ‘painful’ attacks on her ‘kind and patient’ husband.
Harry was seen belting out the National Anthem ahead of England’s Six Nations clash with France. He warmed his hands in the chilly breeze before sitting down for the action, which currently sees the home side up by 23 to 8.
A deeply personal letter sent by the duchess to her father was published this weekend, in which she accused him of breaking her heart ‘into a million pieces’ by giving interviews to the press, fabricating stories and attacking her new husband.
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The Duke of Sussex alongside French Rugby Federation president Bernard Laporte in the Twickenham stands before England’s Six Nations clash against France today
The royal was stood next to Rugby Football Union president Chris Kelly (left) as he sang the National Anthem with the home crowd
In her letter to her father, the Duchess begged her father to stop attacker ‘patient, kind and understanding’ Prince Harry (pictured on the left at the rugby today) and on the right with Meghan on February 7
She accuses her Thomas Marke) of snubbing her and Prince Harry’s offers to help when he pulled out of attending their wedding. They are seen together in an undated photo
In the letter Meghan admonishes her father, in anguished tones, for siding with her half-sister Samantha – who has attacked her in the press – while she ‘silently suffered at the hand of her vicious lies’.
She goes on to complain that Mr Markle has made no attempt to contact her – and chastises him for falsely telling journalists he is the one who has been shunned – a criticism her father vehemently refutes.
She also accuses her father of snubbing her and Prince Harry’s offers to help when he pulled out of attending their wedding following two heart attacks and accuses him of being ungrateful for money she has given him.
The former award-winning Hollywood lighting director, who now lives in Mexico, said that he never intended to make the handwritten missive public ‘out of respect for Meghan’ – but says he has been forced to do so now because its contents have been falsely portrayed.
Contrary to claims made by the Duchess’s friends, he said the letter made no attempt to heal their bitter rift. ‘I thought it would be an olive branch. Instead, it was a dagger to the heart,’ Mr Markle, 74, said last night.
He dismissed suggestions he has made no attempt to patch things up since her wedding. He showed this newspaper texts which he says prove he reached out multiple times to his daughter and the son-in-law he has never met.
The US magazine People claimed to ‘put the record straight’ over the Duchess’s relationship with her father and criticism of her style as a Royal.
It was based on interviews with five friends – at least one of whom is thought to be one of the Duchess’s co-stars in Suits, the legal drama in which she starred for six years.
The Duchess came under fire over her apparent decision to allow her confidantes to defend her in the extraordinary interview, without, it is understood, involving Kensington Palace.
The palace has refused to comment on whether the magazine’s anonymous sources had co-operated at the direct request of the Duchess or with her tacit approval.
Prince Harry arrives at Twickenham today before greeting rugby fans. Before the appearance he met a group of schoolchildren
The royal chats with Rugby Football Union president Chris Kelly (on the left) ahead of kick-off at Twickenham today
At the 40 minute mark England were leading France by 23 to 8. Pictured is England’s Jonny May (centre) celebrating his third try of the day
Ben Youngs of England passes the ball during the Six Nations match, which comes after England beat Ireland in the first round
The bombshell five-page letter, sent in August last year, saw Meghan accuse Thomas Markle of breaking her heart ‘into a million pieces’ by giving interviews to the press. Pictured is an extract
Thomas Markle says: ‘I’ve never attacked Harry. I asked him to man up’
He insists the Duchess is mistaken: ‘I have only ever spoken out in response to fake narratives and lies’
Former Buckingham Palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter, who worked for both Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, feared the decision would only exacerbate issues.
He said: ‘Assuming – and as these sources are anonymous we don’t know for sure – that this was done with her agreement, it has opened a Pandora’s box. The issue with her father is an open wound and I’m not entirely sure it is the best idea to aggravate that.’
Last night, Mr Markle said it was unfair for his daughter’s friends to use the media to ‘spin a line’ while he was being criticised for ‘giving a handful’ of interviews to the press. In the article last Wednesday, the Duchess’s friends said that she was devastated by his response to the letter, in which he suggested father and daughter pose for press pictures.
One friend said: ‘She feels like “that’s the opposite of what I’m saying. I’m telling you that I don’t want to communicate through the media, and you’re asking me to… Did you hear anything I said?” ’
Mr Markle said he had suggested the photo op as a way of showing the world they could be friends again, describing the Duchess’s reading of it as ‘tragic misunderstanding’ he wishes he could put straight. The rift between the Duchess and her father began after The Mail on Sunday revealed, just days before her wedding in May last year, that he had colluded with the paparazzi to stage a series of lucrative photo opportunities.
Such was his humiliation that he offered to pull out of attending the Royal Wedding and was later prevented from going after suffering two heart attacks.
Since then, he has given a series of damaging interviews in which he has spoken of his dismay at being cast adrift by his daughter and the Royal Family.
Thomas’s Anguished Reply
The Duchess insisted she phoned him, but he had no missed calls
Mr Markle says he never attacked Harry, but feels he should have met him before the wedding
Mr Markle says he never heard from his ex-wife after his plea to help him heal the rift
In the letter (pictured) Meghan accused Thomas Markle of breaking her heart ‘into a million pieces’ by giving interviews to the press, fabricating stories and attacking her new husband
Five nameless friends of the duchess spoke to People in an effort to counter the ‘global bullying’ directed at her.
Mr Markle, who allegedly staged paparazzi photos of himself days before his daughter was due to marry the Duke of Cambridge, has previously claimed his relationship with his daughter has broken down.
He has made public appeals, including during an interview on Good Morning Britain, for his daughter to get in touch with him.
Meghan, who is currently pregnant, revealed in mid January her baby is due around the end of April or beginning of May.