Over the past four years, I have spent more time with Meghan’s family than the Duchess herself.
Previously I have spoken with her father Thomas, her former diplomat uncle Michael and half- brother Thomas Jnr.
At all times, I found them nothing but cordial. At no time did they ever say my presence was not welcome – quite the opposite.
Yesterday, as more of Oprah Winfrey’s damning interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was released, Meghan even gave a nod to my actions.
She told Winfrey, who described her father as being “hunted down”, how at one point he was being “given gifts”.
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It is true, at the time when I approached Mr Markle near his home in Mexico, I did so with a bottle of Champagne and a box of English tea.
It was nothing more than a congratulatory gesture as the UK, at the time, was still in awe of his daughter and excitedly looking forward to welcoming her into the royal family.
No one, for my part, was being “hunted down”.
Our meeting led to me being accused of being sent as a Prince Harry lookalike by his daughter Samantha but, alas, it was simply my parents’ fault for my hair colour.
At the time I congratulated Mr Markle and said Britain hoped to see him at Windsor Castle to walk his daughter down the aisle.
He replied in his soft voice, which belies the giant he is, he hoped so too. That was it.
Mr Markle said he couldn’t talk about Meghan out of respect for her, Harry and the Queen and I remember being struck by his love for his daughter.
Seeing how their relationship has faltered is truly sad given how clearly proud of her he was.
Meghan spoke to Winfrey of her father’s “betrayal” after he later posed for paparazzi snaps.
It was a foolish move on Mr Markle’s part, he knows that now.
But speaking about her dad the way she did, pitting him against her mother, who she praised for remaining “in silent dignity for four years”, makes him more of an outcast than he was before.
The saddest part about this all is that Archie is growing up without either granddad physically there for him.
