Meghan Markle’s newfound royal fame is having devastating effects on her father, Thomas Markle Sr., who is reportedly being forced into a “semi-nomadic” life over fears that he will be kidnapped.
While the newly minted Duchess of Sussex is protected by hordes of bodyguards as she goes about her new royal duties, including jet setting trips to Australia and tea with the Queen, her controversial father is in hiding and in fear for his life.
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According to one of Markle Sr.’s close friends who spoke to The Daily Express, the 74-year-old is now “in an almost constant state of anxiety” and has been forced into a “semi-nomadic existence” despite that he is supposed to be living in a “stress-free environment” following his health crisis in the days leading up to the May 19 royal wedding.
Where does his fear stem?
According to the source, Markle Sr. believes that his daughter’s newfound publicity as a British royal has painted him a target for local gangs in and around his San Antonio Del Mar home, which is located 13 miles south of Tijuana, a drug cartel stronghold where more than 1,700 murders were recorded last year.
Markle Sr. now feels like a “sitting duck” and has attempted to seek safety by hiding out in the homes of friends in the coastal town of Rosarito, an upscale neighborhood where much of film Titanic was filmed, and has even resorted to changing all of the locks on his home for a “much more sophisticated setup.”
“He dreads the prospect of having to spend the rest of his life constantly looking over his shoulder,” the source said. “He’s done all he can to increase security but he’s pretty much stuck there because he can’t afford to move. He still doesn’t feel safe and fears his location makes him a sitting duck.”
If he is hoping to receive help from his daughter, it would be unlikely, given that Markle Sr. has said in recent interviews that he has not had contact with Meghan since her wedding to Prince Harry.
In the months since the royal nuptials, Markle Sr. has made a name for himself, albeit a controversial one, by throwing himself into the spotlight and holding onto the glimmer of fame that was cast upon him and his family. The 74-year-old has given a number of scathing interviews blasting the Royal Family and claiming that his daughter does not appear to be happy.
