Meghan Markle's father threatens to take her to court to see his royal grandchildren Archie and Lili

Meghan Markle has not been on talking terms with her father Thomas Markle for quite a while now, ever since the latter confessed to staging paparazzi photos ahead of her wedding with Prince Harry. The former lighting director has not even met his royal son-in-law, let alone his two grandchildren Archie Harrison, two, and Lilibet Diana, seven weeks.

In a recent conversation with Fox News, Thomas Markle revealed that he would even be willing to take legal action if his daughter doesn't let him see her two children, who live with her and Prince Harry at their Montecito mansion in California. The 77-year-old said that he fears he will never get to meet the two royal tots, as his health continues to deteriorate.

"We shouldn't be punishing [Lili] for Meghan and Harry's bad behavior. Archie and Lili are small children. They're not politics. They're not pawns. They're not part of the game. And they're also royal and entitled to the same rights as any other royal," Markle said in a virtual appearance from his home in Mexico's Rosarito, 70 miles from the Sussexes' mansion in Santa Barbara.

"I will be petitioning the California courts for the rights to see my grandchildren in the very near future," he added.

However, Thomas's prospective court plea might not help him in arranging a meeting with his grandchildren, as claimed by lawyer Mark Gross. The attorney, who has previously represented Charlie Sheen, Lisa Marie Presley and Melissa Etheridge's ex-wife Tammy Lynn Michaels, explained to Us Weekly that his case is weak due to a previous California law case that ruled that the closeness between grandparent and their grandchildren plays a key role in whether they are granted visitation.

Gross mentioned that the judge had granted the grandparent to have contact with the children in the case on the grounds that there was already a "substantial relationship" between them.

In Thomas's case, Gross noted that "with no relationship established between Mr. Markle and his grandchildren, there is no path that any court would give him for visitation."

The attorney added that Thomas's continuous attacks on his daughter and son-in-law in numerous interviews are going to make his case even weaker. Thomas had also testified against his daughter in the libel suit she filed against a British tabloid for publishing extracts of a private letter she had sent to him.

"Given Mr. Markle going on television and giving interviews with his intentions of seeking visitation, well that certainly isn't in the best interest of the children either. Any judge is going to look at that and have cause for concern. If he were my client, I would advise him to not give any interviews, period. It's only self-serving," Gross explained.