Meghan Markle faces intense backlash as Lady C sets up fundraiser for Thomas

Prince Harry's wife Meghan Markle has come under fire after an expert's surprising move to support the Duchess of Sussex's "rejected" father Thomas Markle.

Lady Colin Campbell, a long-time Meghan critic, stunned everyone by setting up fundraiser for Thomas on popular crowd-funding website GoFundMe four days after the former 'Suits' star's dad's 80th birthday.

The author had called on members of the public to "show him solidarity and give him the acknowledgement he should be getting", with the Duchess of Sussex's father having been estranged from his daughter since 2018.

In the fundraising appeal, named "Lady C celebrating Thomas Markle Sr's 80th birthday", the famous TV personality showered Archie and Lilibet's grandfather with praise - but not without a few digs at Meghan.

Its description reads: "Many people have suggested that I spearhead this fundraiser to meaningfully note Thomas Markle Sr's 80th birthday. 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.

"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 acknowledgement 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.

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

More than £3,300 has been raised since the fundraiser's conception - but it may come as little consolation for Markle, who celebrated his eighth decade without Meghan.

On his big day, Thomas told the Mail: "I've had a good life and I am proud of what I've accomplished, but everything has been overshadowed by what has happened in the last six years. I've never been one for birthdays, but I know the one person I most want to hear from, Meghan, won't be in touch."

Meghan and her retired lighting director dad's relationship become strained after he had staged paparazzi photos before she tied the knot with Prince Harry.

He suffered two heart attacks just before the ceremony, preventing him from walking his daughter down the aisle.

Since then, the Sussexes have not communicated with Thomas - and he has never met his princely son-in-law, or his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.