After Meghan Markle’s father Thomas was cut off, he accused the Duchess of Sussex of treating him “worse than an axe murderer.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s father hasn’t talked to his daughter in years, despite his frantic attempts to reach her.

On 60 Minutes, the 76-year-old former lighting director delivered a shocking interview, speaking for the first time since the birth of his new granddaughter Lilibet.

Mr Markle has never met his grandson Archie, Prince Harry, and said in an interview that he only learned about baby Lilibet’s birth after their official announcement and that he was dissatisfied to learn about Lilibet’s birth via the official statement, rather than beforehand.

“Of course it hurts, there are axe murderers in prison and their family comes to see them,” he said.

“I’m not an axe murder.

“I made one dumb mistake and I’ve been punished for it. This show they’ve been on, they talk about compassion, there’s no compassion for me, no compassion for my family, and no compassion for the world.”

“If I had done something terribly wrong, that would be fine, but I haven’t.”

He criticized Oprah Winfrey for “preying on weak” Harry.

He said: “I think Oprah Winfrey is playing Harry and Meghan.

“I think she’s using them to build her network and build her new shows.

“I think she’s taking advantage of a very weakened man.

He also claimed that, while he was remorseful for arranging paparazzi photos for a cash-in before Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018, he didn’t believe he should be punished indefinitely.

He also compared himself to Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth: “I’m not bitter, I’m confused. I just don’t have the answer. I want an answer. If I had done something terribly wrong that would be fine but I haven’t. I just want an answer.

“I don’t know of anybody that’s that cold to do this, and now Meghan’s doing it to me and Harry’s doing it to his father.

“That’s a cold thing to do and it’s even more cold to do it to the Queen, who is in her nineties. That’s a cold thing to do.”

Thomas now believes that, due to his failing health, he may never meet Archie, two, or infant Lilibet, who was born on June 4.

“August 4, 40 years ago, Megan was born by c-section and I was the first one to hold her in my arms,” he said. “I fell in love with her and I’ve been that way ever since. I will be very disappointed if I don’t get to hold my granddaughter.”

He also confessed that he continues to profit from the photos that essentially destroyed his relationship with Meghan, but claims that he took them to ‘repair his image’ in the public eye, rather than to harm his daughter.