Meghan Markle's father sends olive branch to King Charles amid monarch's cancer treatment
Thomas Markle has tried to establish common ground with the King over the pair's health concerns
PA/GB News
Meghan Markle's father Thomas has extended an unprecedented olive branch to King Charles in a moving new interview lamenting his estrangement from the Duchess of Sussex.
Markle, four years the King's senior, opened up on how he "would love to speak to" Charles after his daughter cut him off six years ago.
Mere weeks away from his 80th birthday, the former TV man from Pennsylvania admitted he had a string of "unanswered questions" - but in an attempt to establish common ground, claimed the King did too.
Markle also drew parallels between his and King Charles's medical concerns, citing the monarch's ongoing cancer battle and his own health as an area over which the two could bond.
Thomas Markle has tried to establish common ground with the King over the pair's health concerns
PA/GB News
Markle told the Mail: "I would love to speak to him because I am sure he has as many unanswered questions as I do.
"Neither of us deserves the treatment we’ve received.
"He is going through cancer treatment and I’m not in the best of health."
The King had been remarkably candid about his run-in with cancer when he returned to public duties on a visit to London's University College Hospital in April.
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King Charles was pictured at London's UCH back in April
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The Duke of Sussex had been praised for his response to his father's cancer diagnosis
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Speaking to patients in the Central London facility's chemotherapy ward, Charles revealed he was "well", "alright" and "not too bad".
And though he admitted receiving the diagnosis which shocked the nation and the world in early February was - understatedly - a "bit of a shock", he appeared in good spirits as he eased back into his day-to-day duties key to his role as head of state.
Speaking to Digital Royal Editor Svar Nanan-Sen and Royal Correspondent Cameron Walker on The Royal Record podcast, cancer specialist Karol Sikora had praised Prince Harry's response to his father's initial diagnosis.
Referencing how the news had brought the under-fire Prince back from the US to support the King, Sikora said: "You see all sorts of wonderful things happening in families that may have dissipated a bit, split up, daughters coming back, having been absent for ten years, coming back and living with their mum to help through a difficult time in life."
Thomas Markle has bemoaned his lack of contact with his son-in-law
7NEWSBut back on the other side of the Atlantic, Thomas Markle has bemoaned his lack of contact with his son-in-law.
He told the Mail: "Why didn’t Harry ever come to meet me?
"He has the resources to fly around the world - and does - but why didn't he come to see me, particularly when people in the royal household like Jason Knauf [Harry and Meghan's former communications secretary] were urging him to do so? That has never made sense to me.
"What man gets married without meeting his wife's father?"