Duchess of Sussex's brother wants to end rift with wedding

The Duchess of Sussex's half-brother is getting married and hopes his wedding can reunite their family.

Thomas Markle Jr. is set to marry Darlene Blount in March after getting engaged on New Year's Eve and though he wasn't among the guests when the former actress married Prince Harry last May, he's vowed to invite the royal couple - who are expecting their first child together - to his nuptials and hopes it can end the rift between Meghan and her father, Thomas Markle Sr. and other members of their clan.

Thomas told DailyMail TV: "Absolutely I think our wedding will bring the family closer together. It's hopeful that if Meghan and Harry came and my father... Meghan and Harry could spend some time together with him and that would be good."

The 52-year-old window fitter began dating Darlene, 38, not long after the former 'Suits' star began romancing Harry and he admitted his bride-to-be thought he was "crazy" when he revealed his famous connections.

Darlene said: "I thought he was completely crazy."

Thomas added: "I remember that very well - Meghan and Harry had just started dating and I mentioned it to her and she looked at me like, 'Yeah, who is this guy? Whatever! He's crazy.' But it turned out really nice and we've had a really good time ever since. [We've had] ups and downs but we've managed to make it so far."

The 37-year-old duchess hasn't spoken to her father - who confessed to staging paparazzi photographs ahead of her nuptials - since the night before her wedding.

And the retired lighting director, who pulled out of attending Meghan and Harry's wedding due to ill health, recently claimed to have been "ghosted" by his daughter.

He said: "I'm not sure why it's happening. I love my daughter very much. I wish she would reach out, send me a text, anything. There has to be a place for me. I'm her father." 

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