Thomas Markle has made a bombshell claim that daughter Meghan is struggling to cope with the switch from TV to royalty and he can ‘see her pain in her smile’.
He has voiced his concern about pressure being piled on the Duchess of Sussex as she comes to terms with life as a busy member of the royal family.
Saying he is ‘worried’ about his daughter, 36, he added that her ‘pained smile’ might show that she is struggling to cope with demanding royal duties.
Speaking from his hometown of Rosarito in Mexico, Mr Markle told The Sun on Sunday: ‘I see it in her eyes, I see it in her face and I see it in her smile.
'I’ve seen her smile for years. I know her smile. I don’t like the one I’m seeing now... This is a pained smile.'
The 73-year-old ex-Hollywood lighting director said she hadn't been answering his calls, adding: 'I think she's under too much pressure...she's terrified.'
He also branded the Royal Family dress code 'like the 1930s' because of the knee-covering outfits Meghan has been wearing at public events.
Mr Markle said the rules were 'asinine', complaining he was shunned after selling staged pictures of himself six days before Meghan's wedding.
Meanwhile, he said, 'half of Great Britain' makes money from pictures of his daughter.
Mr Markle did not attend the Royal Wedding after reportedly being hospitalised for chest pains on the day he was supposed to fly to the UK.
However, in recent days there has been little sign of Meghan's ‘pained smile’ which is causing Mr Markle concern.
Since joining The Firm on May 19, her diary has been jam-packed with royal events — including a day out at Ascot, a family wedding and, this week, her first foreign tour.
Harry and Meghan were described as looking ‘very happy’ as they dined on lamb and hake at a Dublin restaurant four days ago.
Manager Grace Davis told Vanity Fair the newlyweds made the booking 'some time ago' via Palace aides and pre-ordered their meals from the menu, which includes traditional dishes made from seasonal ingredients.
The eatery was closed to the public so that the couple could enjoy their meal - washed down with Irish coffee and Guinness - away from prying eyes, and they were seated in 'the snug', a cosy corner tucked away towards the rear of the venue.
Last month saw Meghan beam as she took to the streets of London during the Trooping the Colour to mark the Queen's 92nd birthday.
And she also enjoyed her first solo outing with the Queen in Chester.
Body language experts analysing the royals’ interaction last month, as they attended a bridge opening, met with local officials and visited a library said that while Meghan appeared deferential and nervous, she was above all gloriously happy to be in the monarch’s company.
Meanwhile, it was a happy-looking Meghan pictured in an all-white get-up at Royal Ascot - when she was compared to Eliza Doolittle from the hit musical My Fair Lady.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
