Meghan Markle’s Father Thomas Suggests She and Prince Harry Are ‘Cheapening the Royals’

Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, believes that his daughter and Prince Harry are “cheapening the royals” with their decision to step back from their royal duties. In an exclusive interview that aired in the 90-minute documentary Thomas Markle: My Story, the Duchess of Sussex’s father gave his opinion on the couple’s “transition” out of senior members of the royal family, accusing them of turning the House of Windsor into “a Walmart with a crown on it.”

“When they got married they took on an obligation, and the obligation is to be part of the royals and to represent the royals,” Markle said in the film, adding that it would be “foolish” for the couple to abandon those duties. “This is one of the greatest long-living institutions ever. They are destroying it, they are cheapening it, making it shabby – they shouldn’t be doing this.”

In his eyes, the couple are “lost souls” who are unsure of what exactly they are searching for.

“I think both of them are turning into lost souls at this point,” he said. “I don’t know what they’re looking for. I don’t think they know what they are looking for.”

The interview, which aired Wednesday on Britain’s Channel 5 but does not yet have a premiere scheduled in the U.S., came just weeks after Meghan and Harry announced their intentions to “step back” as senior members of the royal family. Explaining that they had come to the decision “after many months of reflection and internal discussions,” the couple announced that they would work to become “financially independent” and would split their time between the United Kingdom and North America.

While the decision has gained the support of Queen Elizabeth, Markle has stated his disapproval of the move, telling Us Weekly in a statement that he was “disappointed.”

Markle, however, is not the only member of the duchess’ family to speak out against the decision. Her estranged sister, Samantha Markle, has also expressed her disappointment.

“From my perception, I feel she did enjoy it when there was the fab four and the photographs of her hair blowing in the wind and the smiling and the contrived British accent,” she recently said. “But when the public start to criticise the behaviour and expenditure, the tune changed and it became a bit more attribution error, avoiding accountability, flipping the script.”

As part of the deal, the duke and duchess, who have since returned to Canada, will retain but forgo use of their HRH titles. They will also have to “step back from Royal duties, including official military appointments” and will “no longer receive public funds for Royal duties.”