The Duchess of Sussex’s estranged father has reportedly said he is disillusioned by the woman she has become.

Thomas Markle also responded to a new book about Meghan and Harry by criticising the timing of its publication, saying it comes across as a collection of complaints at a time when thousands of people are dying from Covid-19.

Speaking to The Sun, Mr Markle said: “I love my daughter but I really don’t appreciate what she’s become right now.”

In reaction to the release of Finding Freedom, by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the 76-year-old told the paper: “This is the worst time in the world for them to be whining and complaining about anything – because people everywhere are suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic.”

While some media commentators have alleged collusion between the Sussexes and the book’s authors, a spokesman for Harry and Meghan has said the couple did not contribute.

Finding Freedom also details the drama leading up to Meghan’s wedding to Harry, when it was revealed that Mr Markle was paid for helping to set up paparazzi photos of himself near his Mexico home.

Mr Markle responded by saying his daughter was not above colluding with the media in the same way and that she had arranged paparazzi shots while acting in TV drama Suits before she met Harry.

“Apparently Meghan has made deals with the paparazzi. She planned it,” Mr Markle told The Sun, which stressed it did not pay him for the brief interview.

Mr Markle did not attend his daughter’s wedding. The book says Meghan was still desperate for him to be there, despite publicity over his involvement with the paparazzi, but that he did not respond to her texts and voicemail messages in the days before the event.

Mr Markle suffered a heart attack around the same time, which he said would have prevented him from flying to London in any case.