Meghan Markle’s Half-Sister Samantha Begs Duchess to Mend Family Rift in Wake of Royal Baby’s Birth

Meghan Markle’s estranged half-sister Samantha Markle has broken her silence following the birth of the royal baby.

Samantha, whose married name is Samantha Grant, broke her silence in a statement to DailyMailTV just one day after the Monday, May 6 birth of her nephew, stating her desire to have the newest royal act as the common factor that helps mend her family’s ongoing feud.

“I love it! I’m already an aunt and am lucky enough to have Thomas and Tyler as my nephews,” she said of the birth. “I spent a lot of time with them when they were babies and I love them. Family is family.”

The Belleview, Florida native, who stated that she believes baby Sussex will grow up “to be an exceptional man,” went on to reiterate her calls for her sister to put an end to the bitter feud that has rippled through her family and the press for nearly a year.

“What I think is incredible is that it’s a great moment historically and although the adults have a lot of water under the bridge, I would really like to see everyone reach out,” she said, echoing a similar sentiment from Thomas Markle Jr. “We’ve extended the olive branch and now it is Meghan’s turn.”

Although Samantha was not among those in attendance of the birth, such as was Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, and while she has not spoken to her half-sister since 2008, Samantha claimed that she is ready to put aside their differences and start a new chapter for their families.

“We’re all welcoming the baby – Markles, Raglands, Sussexes, Windsors,” she said. “In terms of the gene pool, we’ve all made a contribution to this wonderful little boy who will probably grow up to be an exceptional man and we’d like to treat this as if we’re all a big family.”

“It would be nice not to react to what we’ve heard in the news but to personally meet him and let him judge us for himself,” she added. “I want him to know he’s got a big family and he’s part of an amazing historical time and we’re all excited for him.”

Addressing her estranged sister directly, Samantha reminded the new mom that she has “a world here and a family here [in the US] that’s excited for you” and that she hopes Markle will at least allow their father, Thomas Markle Sr., to meet the little royal.

“I would really love him to be a part of the baby’s life,” she said. “But more than that, Meg is his baby too. “Life is short and we’re family. I hope she decides to do the right thing this time.”