It's fair to say that the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was the most important social event of the year. In fact, it still feels like we're reeling from the grandeur of that magical ceremony. Everything went perfectly ... well, almost perfectly. There was one cloud that managed to darken that special day: namely the blushing bride's father, former lighting director Thomas Markle.

Indeed, before the wedding took place there was a lot of media speculation as to whether or not Thomas Markle was fit to walk his daughter down the aisle, since he was recovering from heart surgery at the time the wedding had been scheduled, and thus was too unwell to perform his paternal duty. As a result, Prince Charles himself was forced to intervene and fill his shoes.

But then another twist. It was then revealed that Markle had actually staged a number of photographs for the benefit of the paparazzi, for which he had been paid a hefty fee. In the aftermath of the controversy, Meghan's half-sister Samantha was forced to defend him, claiming that it was her idea and that her father wanted "to show the world that [he's] getting in shape and doing great healthy things."

The whole fiasco has managed to deal some considerable damage to Meghan and her father's already-strained relationship, and the two are reportedly now no longer on speaking terms. Markle claims that he has been shunned and snubbed by the royals, and now, in a marathon nine-hour interview with The Daily Mail, Markle has even gone so far as to insult the royals and Prince Harry's mother, the late Princess Diana.

Markle stated: "They have Meghan treating her father in a way that Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, would have loathed. That’s not what Diana stood for ... Princess Diana is credited with changing the Royal Family, but she wasn’t perfect. She was still very much one of them. I think Meghan’s the one who’ll bring them into the 21st Century, if they’ll let her... I refuse to stay quiet. What riles me is Meghan's sense of superiority. She'd be nothing without me. I made her the Duchess she is today. Everything that Meghan is, I made her."

He added: "I'd spoken to Harry and Meghan and offered to make a public apology for the posed photos, but they said it wasn't necessary... Then suddenly I'm being told that I needed help apologising, as if there's a special way to apologise to the Royal Family. Perhaps you do it with gravy and flowers on the side? I was taken aback to be asked if I needed help apologising, like I was a child. That wasn't going to happen... I don’t care if Harry never speaks to me again, I’ll survive."

Thus far, neither Meghan nor Buckingham Palace as responded to Markle's statements, but suffice to say, his words haven't made him any more popular. Here's hoping that he and his daughter will be able to patch things up eventually.

It's fair to say that the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was the most important social event of the year. In fact, it still feels like we're reeling from the grandeur of that magical ceremony. Everything went perfectly ... well, almost perfectly. There was one cloud that managed to darken that special day: namely the blushing bride's father, former lighting director Thomas Markle.

Indeed, before the wedding took place there was a lot of media speculation as to whether or not Thomas Markle was fit to walk his daughter down the aisle, since he was recovering from heart surgery at the time the wedding had been scheduled, and thus was too unwell to perform his paternal duty. As a result, Prince Charles himself was forced to intervene and fill his shoes.

But then another twist. It was then revealed that Markle had actually staged a number of photographs for the benefit of the paparazzi, for which he had been paid a hefty fee. In the aftermath of the controversy, Meghan's half-sister Samantha was forced to defend him, claiming that it was her idea and that her father wanted "to show the world that [he's] getting in shape and doing great healthy things."

The whole fiasco has managed to deal some considerable damage to Meghan and her father's already-strained relationship, and the two are reportedly now no longer on speaking terms. Markle claims that he has been shunned and snubbed by the royals, and now, in a marathon nine-hour interview with The Daily Mail, Markle has even gone so far as to insult the royals and Prince Harry's mother, the late Princess Diana.

Markle stated: "They have Meghan treating her father in a way that Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, would have loathed. That’s not what Diana stood for ... Princess Diana is credited with changing the Royal Family, but she wasn’t perfect. She was still very much one of them. I think Meghan’s the one who’ll bring them into the 21st Century, if they’ll let her... I refuse to stay quiet. What riles me is Meghan's sense of superiority. She'd be nothing without me. I made her the Duchess she is today. Everything that Meghan is, I made her."

He added: "I'd spoken to Harry and Meghan and offered to make a public apology for the posed photos, but they said it wasn't necessary... Then suddenly I'm being told that I needed help apologising, as if there's a special way to apologise to the Royal Family. Perhaps you do it with gravy and flowers on the side? I was taken aback to be asked if I needed help apologising, like I was a child. That wasn't going to happen... I don’t care if Harry never speaks to me again, I’ll survive."

Thus far, neither Meghan nor Buckingham Palace as responded to Markle's statements, but suffice to say, his words haven't made him any more popular. Here's hoping that he and his daughter will be able to patch things up eventually.