Thomas Markle
Family Member
Retired lighting designer who has risen to worldwide fame as the father of Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. He earned notoriety in the run-up to his daughter's May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry for choosing not to attend the ceremony.
He began his professional career as a TV lighting designer in Chicago for WTTW-Channel 11 in the early 1970s. He received a Daytime Emmy Award in 1982 for his lighting work on General Hospital.
He earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1986 for co-designing the lights for the 58th Academy Awards. He attracted controversy days before his daughter's May 2018 wedding when it was learned he staged paparazzi photos.
He was married to Doria Ragland between 1979-1988. He has two other children from his first marriage to Roslyn Loveless named Samantha and Thomas. He has two brothers named Frederick and Michael.
His daughter Meghan, Duchess of Sussex was walked down the isle by her husband's father Prince Charles, Prince of Wales.