Prince Harry called for Donald Trump to be “given a chance” his father-in-law has revealed in his first broadcast interview.

Thomas Markle told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that he was angry about something Trump had done when he spoke by phone to Harry for the first time last year.

“I’ve always have a bad attitude about Donald Trump and that’s never going to change,” he said. “My God, I’ve got to apologise to the rest of the world for my president. All Harry actually did was say because Trump was new, he said: ‘Give him a chance.’”

Markle speculated that his son-in-law may have since changed his attitude to the president. “I think Harry has probably changed his mind by now – I certainly hope he has,” he said.

Markle’s remarks underline the controversy of Trump’s visit to the UK next month. The prospect of an awkward meeting between Trump and the Queen was delayed after an invitation for an official state visit was postponed.

Asked what Harry thought about Brexit, Markle said: “He said he was open to it. He didn’t know one way or another, he was just saying he had to be open to it, and see how it went. That’s pretty much what’s his attitude. This is just conversation between two guys about politics nothing cast in stone, just the way you talk.”

He added: “It was just a loose conversation about something we have to try. There was no real commitment to it … I think he was open to the experiment.”

Markle also spoke of his disappointment at missing his daughter Meghan’s wedding last month while he was recovering from heart surgery.

He said he planned to mention his phonecall with Harry in a speech he had prepared for the wedding. “The speech actually had the phone calls that I talked about … And how Meghan introduced him as this nice guy from England, this prince. And then I went on to thank the royal family for opening up to my child. That would have been the speech.

“Watching it was difficult for me because I wasn’t there, but at the same time I’m watching my daughter being watched by the entire world and I couldn’t have been more proud.

“And, like I said, Charles – how could I asked for a better replacement? I was thrilled to tears that he was doing that for me. I just wish it had been my hand holding my daughter, not his.”

He said he accepted “full responsibility” for his behaviour in the run-up to the wedding when speculation about his attendance threatened to overshadow the event.

Play Video 2:02 Prince Charles walks Meghan Markle down aisle to marry Prince Harry - video

He said: “I can say I’m sorry for those things for the rest of my life. I’m paying for those things for the rest of my life. Like I say, I’m a footnote rather than the dad that walked his girl down the aisle. I have to live with that for the rest of my life.”



Markle said it was “long overdue” that someone mixed-race had joined the royal family: “I think there shouldn’t be any colour barriers anywhere any more. I think it is an improvement on the royal family. It’s an improvement for England.”

And he defended Meghan for only inviting her mother from her family to the wedding. He said: “Some 40,50, 60 Markles came out of the woodwork all asking for invitations to the wedding. Meghan probably had the good sense to invite none because she would have offended the others … I applauded her for it.”



Markle said he was looking forward to meeting his new relations in London soon. “I would love to meet the Queen. I’ve had respect for that woman since I was a child,” he said. “I think she is one of the most incredible women in the world and I would love to meet her.”