‘Daddy’s girl’ Meghan so close to father who believed in her actress dreams

Meghan Markle has written tenderly how her father Thomas invested “blood, sweat and tears” so she could pursue her dreams.

The former actress, who described herself as a daddy’s girl, has in the past described Mr Markle as both thoughtful and inspiring.

The former TV lighting director, who lives a quiet life in Mexico, worked on shows such as hit sitcom Married … With Children and popular US drama General Hospital.

He won two Emmys for his team’s work on General Hospital and was nominated for countless others.

Ms Markle is his only child from his second marriage to Doria Ragland. He has two older children from his first marriage to Roslyn Markle.

He filed for bankruptcy in 2016 after reports that he failed to pay his debts.

Mr Markle, who is of Dutch and Irish descent, has been described by his soon-to-be royal daughter as hardworking and caring and believing in her “grand dream” of becoming an actress.

She has paid tribute previously to “the blood, sweat and tears this man (who came from so little in a small town of Pennsylvania, where Christmas stockings were filled with oranges, and dinners were potatoes and Spam) invested in my future so that I could grow up to have so much”.

Ms Markle added: “It’s safe to say I have always been a daddy’s girl – he taught me how to fish, to appreciate Busby Berkeley films, write thank-you notes, and spend my weekends in Little Tokyo eating chicken teriyaki with vegetable tempura.”

She recalled how one Christmas he created a Barbie family for her when they were only sold in sets of white dolls or black dolls.

Her new collection of dolls had “a black mom doll, a white dad doll, and a child in each colour. My dad had taken the sets apart and customised my family”.

When Ms Markle was confronted with a tick-box form to fill in at school about her ethnicity and found she did not fit into just one category, she revealed: “My dad said words that will stay with me forever: ‘Draw your own box.'”

Kensington Palace announced just over a week ago that Mr Markle was due to walk his daughter down the aisle.

“Ms Markle is delighted to have her parents by her side on this important and happy occasion,” Jason Knauf, the palace communications secretary said.

Over the weekend, it emerged that Mr Markle allegedly co-operated with staged paparazzi photographs.

Ms Markle’s half-sister has claimed she is to blame for the controversy.

Samantha Markle tweeted it was her idea that Mr Markle pose for what she described as “positive photos” in a bid to combat his “bad” portrayal in the press, but stated it was not done for money.

Mr Markle, who is feared to no longer be walking his daughter down the aisle, was meant to be flying to London this week.

He is due to meet the Queen and other members of the royal family, including his future son-in-law Prince Harry for the first time, before the wedding on Saturday.