The Queen was reportedly worried about the ‘damage’ Meghan Markle’s public falling out with her father Thomas could do to the Royal Family, and advised her to write him a letter.

Meghan Markle’s public rift with her father Thomas Markle, who celebrated his 80th birthday this week, reportedly set ‘alarm bells ringing’ for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Before her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan had a very public dispute with her dad, which became more pronounced when he was caught staging photos with the paparazzi before her 2018 wedding and subsequently pulled out of attending the ceremony.

Thomas Markle has not spoken to his daughter since the fallout, missing the chance to meet Prince Harry or his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet. Sources claim reports the Mirror that Meghan’s estrangement from her father was seen as a ‘significant’ concern by the Queen.

The source claims the late Queen feared the repercussions it might have on the Royal Family’s image, reports the Daily Mail. A source shared with the publication: “Meghan’s public disagreements with her father set alarm bells ringing at the time. Her Majesty realised the potential damage they could do to the Royal Family in general. Looking back, the Queen might have had an inkling of what was to come.”

In the Netflix documentary featuring Meghan and Harry, Meghan disclosed how she sought guidance from the Queen regarding the situation with her father, saying: “I reached out to Her Majesty and was, like, ‘This is what’s going on. What do you want me to do? I want…whatever advice you have.'”

“Ultimately, it was suggested by the Queen and the Prince of Wales [now King Charles] that I write my dad a letter.” However, Thomas later described receiving the letter as akin to a “dagger to the heart”.

Thomas has been vocal in his attempts to reconnect with Meghan, even taking to television to plead his case. In a heartfelt plea on Good Morning Britain last September, he implored: “I’ve always been here for her, I love her, I’ll love her forever. I want her to reach out to me and let me see my grandkids and let me have a little peace. It’s been five years.”

Meghan also reminisced about how her father would bring his professional expertise to her school plays, elevating them with his lighting skills to make them feel “as grand as a Broadway show”.

Meghan concluded her heartfelt message with a touching tribute, saying “To my dad – my thoughtful, inspiring, hardworking Daddy – Happy Father’s Day. ‘If I had all the water in the world, I’d give all the water to you…’ (You won’t get that quote, but he will. And for Father’s Day, that’s all that matters).”