Markle Sr. confessed to still profiting from the staged photos taken before the Royal Wedding, despite being aware of the distress it caused Meghan. He went on to declare that Meghan and Harry are indebted to him.
As the royal wedding approached in 2018, Markle struck a deal with a paparazzi photographer, posing for images such as being fitted for a suit and reading a book about the UK in a coffee shop.
These photos were then sold to various publications worldwide, fetching up to $100,000, with Markle receiving a 30% share.
The release of the photos caused significant embarrassment for the royal family, leading Meghan and Prince Harry to confront him just before the story broke.
During a new interview for Channel 5’s documentary, Markle admitted to continuing to profit from the photos whenever they are used.
Addressing the issue in the documentary titled ‘Thomas Markle: My Story’, he stated, “Absolutely. Those pictures will sell forever.”
Markle asserted that his initial intention was not to make money from the photos but to repair his tarnished public image caused by media portrayal.
He explained, “I had been going through this for months. Every paper seemed to want to make me look like a dumb, fat slob. I bought a new toilet, and it made news around the world, turning me into a joke—this became my throne.”
Continuing, he said, “I got approached by a guy who spoke to me and said ‘I can change your image.’ He said the problem you have is all these photos of you are terrible; he said I can make you look respectable.”
“He said we’ll go out and take some photographs of you looking like you’re getting in shape for the wedding.”
“The idea was that these would all be candid shots, discreet, no one would know they were posed or anything. It would be just me doing my routine daily.”
Markle admitted to having reservations about the photos even before their publication.
He recalled, “I was feeling that this was very hooky and hammy, but he keeps saying you’ve got to trust me, I’ve done this a hundred times.”
However, their plan was foiled when CCTV cameras in an internet cafe exposed them arranging the shots.
A week before the wedding, Kensington Palace was informed that a story about the staged photos was about to break. Meghan and Harry then confronted Thomas, questioning the authenticity of the photos.
Recalling the conversation, Thomas admitted, “I denied it. All Harry asked me was did I pose for measurement for a suit, and I said no, I wasn’t posing for a measurement for a suit, I was being measured for a new hoody. That’s what I told them.”
“And of course that was a lie. I lied to him. I’m not proud of that, but I did. I didn’t do it for money. I did this to change my image.”
In the interview, Thomas also mentioned his plan to demand payment for any future interviews, citing that Meghan, Prince Harry, and the Royal Family are obligated to him.
He expressed, “I’m going to defend myself, and I’m going to be paid for it. I don’t care. At this point, they owe me. The Royals owe me. Harry owes me, Meghan owes me. What I’ve been through, I should be rewarded for.”
“My daughter told me that when I reach my senior years, she’ll take care of me. I’m in my senior years now; it’s time to look after daddy.”