Meghan Markle’s half-brother is already drawing inspiration from his newborn nephew.
Thomas Markle Jr. spoke exclusively with Access via FaceTime on Friday ahead of his upcoming boxing match, and revealed that he’s heading into the ring with family on his mind amid the news of Baby Archie’s May 6 arrival.
“Anytime there’s an addition to the family, it’s a big thing,” Markle said. “Hopefully in this case it will actually bring our family back together a little bit and tighten our ongoing rift that’s always in the papers.”
As for his decision to dedicate the fight to Meghan and Archie, Markle explained that he wants to give his younger sister a reminder that the past is never too far behind her.
WATCH: Royal Baby Archie’s Birth Certificate Released – And It Reveals A Lot!
“Meghan only has one family where she came from,” he told Access. “She’s got two now, but we are her family and I’d like to bring a little awareness to that.”
The 52-year-old clarified that the tabloid reports of “wild, crazy people” in Meghan’s bloodline don’t convey the image he wants her to hold on to. With Archie now in the fold, Markle is optimistic that things can move forward into a more positive space.
“We need to get away from all that and just be a family again. So, I think it’ll be a good thing,” he added.
Markle is set to face off against Mark Wahlberg’s good friend and “Wahlburgers” co-star Henry “Nacho” Laun for creator Damon Feldman’s Celebrity Boxing summer series in Atlantic City on June 8. Markle told Access that he’s been training with Muay Thai champ Heath “The Cowboy” Harris in preparation for the entertainment event, brought to fans by the new film “The 16 Minute Man.”
The venture marks a new path for Markle as he intends to not only showcase a different side of himself, but also ideally help bridge the gap between the Duchess and her American roots. When asked if choosing “The Duke” as his fighting alias is indeed an obvious nod to brother-in-law Prince Harry, however, Markle said that he simply wanted something that had the right ring to it.
“It’s catchy, and it’s legitimate … It came to mind and it kinda stuck, and I’m happy with it,” he said.
Though Markle hasn’t spoken with Meghan and isn’t sure when he’ll get an official introduction to Archie, he told Access that the little one has already brought joy to Meghan’s stateside loved ones – especially his and Meghan’s father, Thomas Sr.
WATCH: Meghan Markle Vs. Dad Thomas Markle: Will Baby Archie Mend Their Family Feud?
“My dad’s been waiting for this for a long time,” Markle said. “He’s very happy and he’s so looking forward to Meghan reaching out to him and bringing them together. My father wants to see his grandson more than anything.”
But when it comes to how his controversial sister, Samantha, is reacting to Archie’s birth, Markle admitted with a chuckle that she’s “a hard one to talk about on her behalf.”
“I’m sure deep down inside Samantha’s very happy because there’s a new baby in the family, but it’s gonna have to come from her,” he said.
Markle went on to share congratulations for Meghan and Harry as they embark on first-time parenthood and celebrate their first wedding anniversary on May 19. Though he noted that the couple seems “very much in love,” Markle joked that having an infant in the house is probably going to take precedent – at least for now.
“Look forward to sleepless nights and changing a lot of stinky diapers and you guys are gonna have a great time,” he said with a smile, echoing Prince William’s wry message welcoming Harry and Meghan to “the sleep deprivation society.”
Despite Meghan’s total lifestyle upheaval since becoming a royal, Markle said he’s looking forward to hopefully seeing the former actress weave her upbringing into her parenting style with Archie.
“If Meghan incorporates some of the amazing adventures and times she had with us as a family growing up … into her child’s life, she’ll do just fine,” he told Access.
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