Meghan Markle’s estranged half-sister Samantha Markle is speaking out for the first time since the Duchess of Sussex gave birth.
The former American actress and her husband, Britain’s Prince Harry, welcomed a bouncing baby boy early Monday morning.
Samantha, 54, told DailyMailTV on Wednesday that while she is delighted to have a royal nephew, she is also hoping her sibling, 37, will finally make amends with her family.
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“Well, I love it,” Samantha told the outlet. “I’m already an aunt and am lucky enough to have Thomas and Tyler as my nephews. I spent a lot of time with them when they were babies and I love them. Family is family. What I think is incredible is that it’s a great moment historically and although the adults have a lot of water under the bridge, I would really like to see everyone reach out. We’ve extended the olive branch and now it is Meghan’s turn.”
Despite not having spoken to the former “Suits” star since 2008, Samantha said she hopes to still be a part of the baby’s life and stressed the child is very much a Markle as he is a Windsor.
“We’re all welcoming the baby — Markles, Raglands, Sussexes, Windsors,” said Samantha. “In terms of the gene pool, we’ve all made a contribution to this wonderful little boy who will probably grow up to be an exceptional man and we’d like to treat this as if we’re all a big family. It would be nice not to react to what we’ve heard in the news but to personally meet him and let him judge us for himself.”
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“I want him to know he’s got a big family and he’s part of an amazing historical time and we’re excited for him,” continued Samantha. “We’re excited for Meg and Harry — I am really excited for her. I love her, she’s my baby sister and it doesn’t matter what we’ve all said back and forth but she’s got to do the right thing. I just want to say Meg, you’ve got a world here and family here [in the US] that’s excited for you.”
Samantha stressed she hoped the new arrival would help heal the rift between Markle and her father, former Hollywood lighting director Thomas Markle Sr.
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“I want Meg to be part of his life, I want Meg to be able to share this beautiful time with him in whatever way she can,” said Samantha. “I think it’s important for her too. I hope something sticks with her — that she decided to do the right thing for my dad. Life is short and we’re family. I hope she decides to do the right thing this time.”
Us Weekly also reported on Wednesday that while Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, has been on hand for support after the arrival of her grandchild, Thomas, 74, was not involved.
“He’s as devastated as any grandfather would be who isn’t being given the chance to see his grandchild,” a pal told the outlet.
Markle cut off Thomas after he was caught staging paparazzi photos leading up to her May 2018 wedding to Harry, 34. The patriarch has since spoken out about the royal family in numerous interviews. He did send his best wishes to the new parents after the baby’s birth.
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“I’m delighted to hear that mother and child are doing well,” Thomas said in a statement to The Mirror. “I am proud that my new grandson is born into the British royal family and I am sure that he will grow up to serve the crown and the people of Britain with grace, dignity and honor. God bless the child, and I wish him health and happiness, and my congratulations to my lovely daughter Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry, and God save the Queen.”
Thomas and Ragland, 62, were married from 1979 to 1987. He is also the father of Thomas Markle Jr. and Samantha with his first wife, Roslyn Markle.
Markle and Harry debuted their royal baby on Wednesday in Windsor Castle. The pair have yet to reveal the child’s name or potential royal title.
Royal filmmaker Nick Bullen previously told Fox News that Markle’s relationship with the paternal side of her family may not heal anytime soon.
Bullen is an executive producer who has been making programs about the British royal family for nearly 20 years and has worked closely with Harry's father, Prince Charles, for eight. Bullen has recently released two new films on True Royalty TV titled "Meghan Markle: Inside the Wardrobe of a Princess" and "Meghan Markle: Inside the Home of a Princess," documenting how the former "Suits" star has made her mark since officially becoming a member of the British royal family.
“I think the biggest question is what’s going to happen with the Markles,” said Bullen. “That to me is the biggest issue. William and Harry… things will ultimately resort itself…. But how can [the Markles] repair what they have done? That’s pretty tricky. Thomas and Samantha have both been speaking to the press nonstop. Meghan has even tried reaching out to her father. They’ve instead decided to make those letters public. I would say that’s far too tricky. We even interviewed Samantha recently for a program and her view is that this is not going to get fixed anytime soon. And as for Meghan and Harry, their focus is on baby Sussex. The Markles are certainly down the list.”