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sat down with SPANX founder Sara Blakely to have a heartfelt conversation about the crucial role her father played in her journey to success despite the Duchess of Sussex's own difficult relationship with hers. Ms Blakley opened up to Meghan for the last episode in her podcast series 'Confessions of a Female Founder' which aired on May 27. She said: "SPANX never had a board. For 16 years, the board was my dad, so my dad would come into town four times a year, hang out with me and the leadership team, and go over the business."

Meghan replied, with genuine interest: "I remember reading, or maybe you told me, that when you were younger your dad would ask around the dinner table, 'What did you fail at this week? What did you fail at today?' meaning, if you failed, you at least tried, you tried beautifully, and it doesn't matter if you failed. When he started to advise on the business four times a year, was he asking those same kind of questions?"

Sara then added: "I was very lucky to have a parent who was incredibly strategic in his thinking. He's a lawyer, but he's very smart, and I trusted him, and that was huge for me..."

In her previous lifestyle blog called The Tig, that Meghan , Meghan paid tribute to the important role Thomas Senior played in her upbringing.

In one post, she described how Thomas would bring his Hollywood expertise as a lighting director to her school drama productions, taking them to the next level, with Meghan later becoming a successful actress herself, making them "as grand as a Broadway show".

She also wrote about some of her childhood memories together: "Our club sandwich and fruit smoothie tradition post my tap and ballet class-classes, which by the way, he religiously took me to on Saturday mornings after working 75+ hours a week as a lighting director."

Meghan no longer has a relationship with her own father,

Around the time of Meghan and Harry's wedding in 2018,, with whom she once shared a strong bond, broke down. Thomas was caught taking part in staged paparazzi shots, for which it is alleged he was paid, ahead of the big day.

Three years later, during her , Meghan confirmed that the pair were still not speaking. Thomas Senior has still not met his grandchildren, Prince Archie, six, Princess Lilibet, three, nor has he met Prince Harry.

However, regarding his overall relationship with Meghan, Thomas revealed all to the : "There were good times. She was a good girl. I don't like some of the things my daughter has done but I will always love her.

"My door is always open to her. I love her and that will never change. I love all my children."