Meghan Markle at 41: from Queen Elizabeth inviting her and Prince Harry to Scotland, to a follow-up of biography Finding Freedom … and, yes, more family drama and criticism

Aug 4 , 2022

Meghan Markle is turning 41 this August 4 and, despite her charmed life, still struggles with haters both at home and abroad. Photo: AFP

Last year, Meghan Markle aired her grievances to Oprah and had baby Lilibet Diana with Prince Harry, but at 41, she still finds herself under fire – including from her own sister, Samantha Markle

Tom Bower’s new book Revenge calls the Duchess of Sussex a threat to the royal family, while US critics say the couple are coasting on their titles, and her dad Thomas Markle recovers from a stroke

According to LA-based royal reporter Kinsey Schofield, Meghan Markle is likely to go in for a low key celebration for her 41st birthday this August 4. “An intimate dinner at Lucky’s Steakhouse in Montecito” could be on the cards, she has suggested.

And perhaps it’s no wonder, given that this time last year, Meghan and her husband Prince Harry were still enduring the fallout from their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey – but they had reason to celebrate too, having also just welcomed their second child, daughter Lilibet Diana.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrate Nelson Mandela International Day at the UN headquarters in New York, on July 18. The Duke of Sussex was a keynote speaker at the event. Photo: AP

But despite their move to the US – which has undoubtedly come with many benefits – tough times still plague Markle, as personal strife and family dramas continue to rumble on.

Here are the challenges the “Princess of Montecito” is yet to overcome as she enters her fourth decade.

The never-ending family dramas

Meghan Markle and her father, Thomas Markle, who suffered a stroke in May and is currently recovering. Photo: @timelessmagg/Instagram

At the end of May, Meghan’s father Thomas Markle suffered a stroke after developing a blood clot on the right side of his brain, according to British media. He reappeared in public on August 1 in a video shared by his son, Thomas Markle Jr, on GB News. The 77 year old seemed to be in good spirits as he wrote a note to viewers on a whiteboard. Since the stroke, he has lost his ability to speak.

Thomas has courted controversy throughout his daughter’s marriage to Prince Harry, repeatedly airing his opinions about their relationship. In the lead-up to their wedding in 2018, he was caught staging paparazzi-style photos of himself being measured for his suit for the wedding, leading to tension between himself and his daughter. In the interview with Oprah in 2021, Meghan said she could not “fathom” why her father would work with the press.

Samantha Markle said her half sister Meghan Markle subjected her to global hatred. Photo: @Samanthamarkle/ Twitter

Meanwhile, Samantha Markle, Meghan’s half-sister, is suing the duchess for defamation. She has been widely quoted as claiming that, following the interview with Oprah, she has been subjected to “humiliation, shame and hatred on a worldwide scale”.

Samantha contested Meghan’s comments about growing up as an “only child”, and insisted that she’s been subjected to criticism as a result of the image Meghan has painted of her.

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