The Markles have been thrust into the spotlight before the royal wedding on Saturday

Father: Thomas Markle Sr, 73

The retired TV lighting director has worked on shows such as Married With Children and General Hospital and has won an Emmy award. He resides in Rosarito, Mexico, where he owns a beachfront property.

Markle Sr is originally from Pennsylvania and has two older brothers, Michael, a US diplomat, and Frederick, a bishop. He has two children with his first wife, Roslyn. They are Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr. The marriage ended in divorce.

He met Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, in the 1970s when they worked together at a television studio in Los Angeles. The pair got married in 1979 and divorced eight years later.

Meghan Markle’s half-sister condemns media attention on father Read more

Mother: Doria Ragland, 61

Ragland, a yoga instructor and social worker, has been described by Meghan as a “free-spirited clinical therapist”. She was to accompany her daughter in the bridal car, but may now end up walking her down the aisle as well. Prince Harry asked her permission to marry Meghan. She joined the couple at the Invictus Games in Toronto.

She graduated from the University of Southern California with a master’s degree in social work. She has kept a low profile since the engagement.

Half-sister: Samantha Markle, 53

Thomas Markle Sr’s elder daughter recently changed her surname back to Markle from Grant. She is reportedly estranged from Meghan and criticised her half-sister on social media. She has written a memoir called Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister. She has previously urged Harry to “man up” and accused him of hypocrisy offering “shout-outs about humanitarianism” while allowing his future wife “to ignore the Markles”.

Half-brother: Thomas Markle Jr, 51

Also reportedly estranged from Meghan, Thomas Markle Jr was arrested on 12 January after being accused of holding a gun to his girlfriend’s head, and has since apologised and says he is “seeking help”. He lives in Oregon and works as a window fitter. He wrote an open letter in a US magazine to Harry criticising Meghan and advising the prince to back out of the wedding, and has been vocally critical of his half-sister.

His ex-wife, Tracy Dooley, and his two sons, Tyler and Thomas, arrived in London on Monday despite reports they were not invited to the wedding. They have not seen Meghan in 20 years.