Caroline Graham has stated that Meghan Markle’s team sent “unnecessarily offensive” messages to journalists present at Thomas Markle’s hospital bedside.
A Daily Mail journalist described in a detailed article published on Saturday that she developed a friendship with Thomas after interviewing him about his complicated relationship with Meghan when she married Prince Harry in 2018.
Graham expressed the need to clarify misconceptions, asserting, “I have only written articles with Tom’s express permission.” Thomas reportedly wished to give an interview to the Mail on Sunday to control the narrative surrounding his amputation.
He faced numerous unfounded rumors online and sought to reach out to Meghan “one last time,” Graham added.
She first encountered 81-year-old Thomas while he resided in Mexico and characterized him as “trustworthy.” They maintained their friendship over the years.
Graham described the recent weeks following Thomas’s hospitalization and leg amputation as a tumultuous time for both of them.
According to her, Thomas’s son, Thomas Jr., urged her to travel to the Philippines to be by their father’s side.
“Thomas Jr. reached out after speaking with the surgeon, who indicated that his father had a significant blood clot, and it was ‘life or death,'” she recounted.
Graham reflected on past conversations with Thomas and suggested that losing contact with Meghan led to Meghan agreeing to interviews with her over the years.
The reporter mentioned that they had an understanding that anything discussed would remain “off the record” unless stated otherwise by Thomas.
She attempted to help Thomas connect with Meghan’s PR team while he was hospitalized, as he had reportedly contacted several hospitals in Cebu in search of her.
Graham noted that Meghan’s team did send an email to Thomas, but he claimed he hadn’t used that email address for a long time.
After Graham reported that Thomas hadn’t heard from Meghan, she revealed that Meghan’s team had been “unnecessarily aggressive” towards him.
She raised her concerns with the newspaper’s editor and legal team regarding this situation.
Graham recounted a conversation with Thomas Sr., where he expressed a desire to “walk away from this world.” He felt that reconciling with his daughter could lead to friendship.
“It’s deeply painful, and we shared tears during our conversation last week. But reconciling with Meghan seems unlikely, especially with Prince Harry having connections in the British press, which he has openly criticized,” she explained.
A spokesperson for Meghan, 44, did not provide an immediate comment.
Last week, Meghan’s team confirmed that they had sent a letter to Thomas.
In response to Graham’s statements, the spokesperson mentioned that, despite her recent efforts, it had been challenging for the Duchess to communicate with her father, due to Graham’s presence and actions at the hospital that they considered a breach of ethical boundaries.
Graham’s report noted her presence during the letter’s delivery but didn’t elaborate on its contents.
DMG Media defended Graham’s relationship with Thomas Sr., asserting she had not violated any ethical boundaries.
