Justice for Thomas Markle: Fundraiser for Meghan Markle's 'Abandoned' Father Hits Whopping $51,000 in Donations

Thomas Markle has a friend in outspoken British aristocrat, author and royal expert Lady Colin Campbell. The scribe behind 2020's bestseller Meghan and Harry: The Real Story began a fundraiser to help the ailing, former TV lighting technician as he has been largely "abandoned."

"Many people have suggested that I spearhead this fundraiser to meaningfully note Thomas Markle Sr’s 80th birthday," Campbell wrote on Thomas' GoFundMe page she created.

"He has been exceedingly generous with his time and money over the years, as I have learnt from the teachers at his daughter’s school, who could not sing his praises highly enough," the author added.

Campbell then went on to praise Thomas' character and stated: "His kindness and generosity are well known in the film community, and I agree that now that he has been rejected and abandoned by the daughter, those of us who wish to show him solidarity and give him the acknowledgment he should be getting from the actual recipient of his largesse, will hopefully, through our contributions, no matter how small, demonstrate to him that there are still people in the world with good hearts, good values, and good intentions."

She signed off: "Hopefully our actions provide him with the comfort he deserves in more ways than one in his declining days."

The fundraiser also highlights what many call the "shallow vindictiveness" of the Duchess of Sussex. When it comes to her dad, Meghan has "completely moved on" and wants nothing to do with him.

"I feel intensely sorry for him, he's a very decent man, very hard-working, he was a wonderful father," royal author Tom Bower told The Sun's Matt Wilkinson. "Meghan owes him such a lot, and she's treated him appallingly. She's treated him in a way which is just totally unwarranted."

"And, there he is, sitting in a rather shabby cabin in New Mexico and he doesn't deserve what she's ladled out," he added.

Thomas was originally set to give his famous daughter away at her royal wedding to Prince Harry in the spring of 2018, but the former lighting technician suffered a heart attack days before. However, also before the nuptials, Thomas was caught staging paparazzi photos in exchange for money. This incident caused significant embarrassment and led to him eventually pulling out of walking Meghan down the aisle, citing health issues as the reason.

"Even when he had his heart attack and wasn't able to get to the wedding, no one was there to help him," he continued. "I think the Palace behaved appallingly towards him, abandoned him, very much, I think, because Harry and Meghan themselves just thought he was someone who could be ignored."

The Independent reported on Thomas' fundraiser.