Meghan Markle Criticized For Flying To Texas But Not Visiting Father In Hospital

Meghan Markle's surprise visit to a memorial honoring the victims of a mass shooting at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school received a mixed reaction on social media.

The Duchess of Sussex, who lives in California with her husband Prince Harry and their two young children, was photographed in Uvalde Thursday laying white flowers at the memorial dedicated to the 19 young students and two teachers who were killed in the mass shooting Tuesday.

Markle, who was dressed casually in jeans, sneakers and a baseball cap for the visit, took the trip in a personal capacity as a mother, to offer her condolences and support in person to a community experiencing unimaginable grief, her spokesperson told People.

However, Markle's sighting in Texas raised some eyebrows. Some social media users were not impressed because she was able to travel to another state but allegedly has not visited her father Thomas Markle, who was rushed to a hospital in California Monday night due to a stroke.

"Don't you think her time would be better spent today visiting her father Thomas who remains seriously ill in a Californian hospital after suffering from a major stroke?" British journalist Dan Wootton tweeted.

"Meghan Markle has nothing to do in Texas, has nothing to do with our pain and our death children and teachers. Go visit your father, thankless daughter, and leave us alone! Go take your Netflix crew some other place and respect our pain! #ShameonyouMeghanMarkle," a second Twitter user wrote.

"What mandate does Meghan Markle have to insert herself into this extremely difficult situation? Her time would have been better spent quietly at her father's bedside," another critic claimed.

But a number of Twitter users came to Markle's defense, pointing out that the former actress is an American and a mother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex share two kids: son Archie, 3, and daughter Lili, who will turn 1 on June 4.

"Meghan Markle is an American too. I think people forget that sometimes. Meghan is a mom as well. If she wants to come and give her tribute to the 19 people who lost their lives, let her! She may not be Texan, but she is American, and we are tired, angry, and scared," one person tweeted.

"She knows what it feels like to lose a child…Lili is a [rainbow emoji] after the storm baby," another netizen said, referring to the miscarriage Markle suffered in July 2020, a year before she and Prince Harry welcomed their daughter.

Another Twitter user slammed the duchess' father, writing: "[Meghan's] father has done nothing but sell stories and interviews. [He is] writing a book on Meghan. [He] staged photos and admitted it. He doesn't even see his other grandchildren, according to other members of his own family, [and] has pics taken sat up in the hospital and they get sent to all news."

Markle's estranged half-sister, Samantha, confirmed that their father suffered a major stroke, which reports said left him unable to speak, and that he was now recovering in the hospital.

However, during an appearance on "Dan Wootton Tonight," the author claimed that they haven't heard from Markle and called out her royal sister for "negligence."

Samantha also said that their dad Thomas "doesn't have a lot of time" left and that if the duchess continues to ignore him, she would "have to live with that [decision] for the rest of her life."

Markle has been estranged from her father since he was caught staging paparazzi photographs ahead of her royal wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.

Thomas ultimately canceled his attendance at their nuptials as he was recovering from heart surgery.

In March 2021, Thomas claimed that the last time he spoke to Prince Harry was when he was "laying in a hospital bed after having a heart attack" in 2018.