Harry & Meghan details the story of various people involved in the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, including Meghan Markle’s father Thomas. It seems nobody involved in the antics of the Royal Family has been able to escape controversy, including Thomas Markle, who was allegedly caught staging photos for the paparazzi. Thomas’s daughter Samantha also claimed to be in on the scandal. However, their plan did not fully come to fruition as the paparazzi company responsible for the photos failed to fully pay Thomas for his participation.
This incident would only be one in a string of scandals that have plagued the Royal Family in recent years. Following Harry and Meghan’s engagement, the couple would distance themselves from the Royal Family, even going as far as moving out of the UK. The release of Netflix’s Harry & Meghan documentary itself has been controversial, with many in the Royal Family and British media claiming the show is overdramatized, hypocritical, and outright untrue in many aspects. The paparazzi scandal involving Meghan’s father was covered in episode 3 of the show.
Thomas Markle Staged Paparazzi Photos For Money
Thomas Markle has been accused of staging photos for the paparazzi and receiving large sums of money for his actions. Markle was specifically caught working with photographer Jeff Rayner in 2018, only a few days before his daughter’s wedding to Prince Harry. Surveillance footage showed Markle arriving at a local internet café and meeting with Rayner. The two stood around talking for a while before staging a photo. In this photo, Thomas Markle is sitting at a computer while staring at a photo of his daughter and Harry (via The Daily Mail).
This incident was considered controversial as Markle’s family had claimed that they had been incessantly harassed by the paparazzi. Yet it appears Thomas willingly sought out the paparazzi to make a quick buck. For these photos and others taken by Rayner, it’s estimated Thomas Markle earned around $100,000. Additionally, the photos are dishonest as they are shot to give the appearance of being candid, with Thomas Markle appearing to be unaware he was being photographed. Even though in reality the photos had been planned ahead of time and staged.
How Samantha Markle Was Involved With The Paparazzi
In light of the controversy regarding Thomas Markle’s planned photo shoots with the paparazzi, Samantha Markle, Thomas’ eldest daughter, took up for her father. During an appearance on the British talk show Loose Women, Samantha stated that the idea of staging photos with the paparazzi was entirely her idea. She also went on to state that there was no financial motivation behind the photos and that the photos were arranged, so it could be shown that her father is “getting in shape and doing great things” (via People). Additionally, Samantha also wanted her father to be shown in a more positive light as she felt media coverage of her father was too negative.
Despite acknowledging his role in staging the photos, Thomas would later turn around and sue Rayner’s photography agency. In this lawsuit he requested $1 million dollars worth of compensation and claimed that the staged photos were published without his permission. Thomas would also claim that a contract with Rayner was supposed to give him 30% of the profits derived from the photos, however, he never received all of this percentage. Additionally, he would state that the incident left him emotionally distraught and led to “2 heart attacks, worldwide embarrassment, and ridicule” (via USA Today). Despite all this, Rayner’s photo agency was credited at the end of episode 3 of Harry & Meghan. Prince Harry would go on to remark during the episode that “It’s amazing what people will do when offered a huge amount of money….to hand over photographs, to create a story.“
