Meghan Markle's father in new row over being paid for tell-all interview

Meghan Markle

The father of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, was today embroiled in a new controversy as it emerged that he was paid over USD 10,000 for a new tell-all interview with a UK television channel following his daughter's wedding to Prince Harry. Thomas Markle made headlines yesterday with an emotional interview with ITV's 'Good Morning Britain', during which he revealed he had wept at missing Meghan's wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle last month.

The 73-year-old former Hollywood lighting director also made some embarrassing references to his new son-in-law's political leanings ' ignoring the fact that royals are expected to remain neutral on politics. Piers Morgan, the presenter who interviewed Markle on the live show, told 'The Sun' Markle had pocketed "a few thousand pounds", but insisted his "ultimate motive was not money" and had turned down significantly higher offers from American media outlets. The presenter insisted Thomas Markle wanted to get a "proper chance" to put across his "side of the story" on a British programme.

"I didn't do this for money, I did this to change my image. I was presented as a hermit hiding out in Mexico but obviously that was a mistake and went wrong,' Markle said during the interview. In reference to a previous controversy over staged paparazzi shots of him preparing for the royal wedding, he added, "I spoke to them both(Harry and Meghan) and apologised. I realised it was a serious mistake but it was hard to take it back. I had been seen as a negative for an entire year and I wanted to improve my look." ITV flew him from his home in Mexico to a luxury hotel in California for the interview during which he revealed that his 36-year-old former actress daughter, had wanted children 'for a long time'.

In reference to 33-year-old Harry, sixth-in-line to the British throne, he said he had warned his son-in-law to never 'raise your hand against my daughter' when he sought her hand in marriage. The latest revelations will cause further embarrassment for Kensington Palace, the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who were reportedly kept in the dark about the interview. It comes as the new royal couple prepare for their first official foreign tour, to Dublin in neighbouring Ireland.

Kensington Palace said the couple "are looking forward to learning more about Ireland's history and experiencing its rich culture, as well as meeting the people who are shaping the country's future". The visit will take place on July 10 and 11 and comes after Prince Harry's father, Charles, the Prince of Wales, took a trip to Ireland last week with his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Harry and Meghan's itinerary has not yet been revealed, and it is not clear whether they will cross the border to Northern Ireland, part of the UK, at any stage. On Tuesday, the pair ' who have put their honeymoon on hold to undertake royal duties ' will join Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the Royal Ascot horse races where they will present the winning trophy at the annual event.

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