Thomas Markle has been estranged from his youngest daughter Meghan Markle since shortly after her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.

Thomas Markle has never met neither Prince Archie or Princess Lilibet. (Image: Getty/7News)

Thomas Markle is likely "very sad" to be missing out on yet another special family occasion because of his strained relationship with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, a royal expert claimed.

The former television lighting director has been effectively estranged from his youngest daughter since after her wedding to Harry in 2018.

He was due to fly to the UK to walk her down the aisle, but news of an agreement with the paparazzi paired with a heart attack days before the ceremony prevented him from attending.

Markle is not believed to have seen the Duchess of Sussex since – and he has repeatedly complained about never meeting his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

With Lilibet's birthday looming, royal expert Phil Dampier spoke of the distress Mr Markle shares with King Charles as he misses out on yet another special occasion.

Princess Lilibet Diana will be turning three on June 4. (Image: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex/Misan Harriman)

Speaking to The Sun's Royal Exclusive show, Mr Dampier said: "It is amazing that she's already three but there is this underlying sadness of course because of the rift that the King is not seeing his grandchildren.

“I think he's only met Lilibet possibly once and Archie only a couple of times and they are seventh and eighth in line to the throne, growing up in California on the West Coast of America with American accents and they just don't see them.”

During her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the Duchess claimed her father had lied to her about speaking to the British press in what she dubbed a "betrayal" she couldn't "reconcile."

Mr Dampier added: "So that is the underlying sadness and whether they're going to one day heal this rift, we don't know, but at the moment I don't think there's much prospect.”

The royal expert also argued Harry and Meghan face the prospect of intense questioning from Lilibet and Archie when they are older on the lack of contact with both families.

He said: "When they get a bit older, are they going to start asking questions ‘How have we got to this situation’, ‘How is it I don't see my grandparents’, ‘How is it I don't have anything to do with the Royal Family?’

“When they get old, that's probably when the problem is going to start and it's going to be difficult for them.”

Lilibet, who will be turning three on June 4, is believed to have met the King in person only once when her parents brought her and Archie to the UK to celebrate the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

While Archie was born in the UK and met his grandfather on multiple occasions, he was barely six months old when he moved to North America with his parents.

One of the main factors that decide the success of an action movie is the authenticity of its action sequences. Excessive use of CGI often leads to poor audience ratings, so filmmakers create those action-packed sequences in real life. Without a doubt, actors like Tom Cruise and Dwayne Johnson are dominating the action genre today, however, there was another film, featuring Keanu Reeves, that was made two decades ago that contained authentic stunts.

Directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded, is arguably the best movie in the Matrix franchise. There is an iconic motorcycle chase scene in the movie that was made entirely on a 1.5-mile stretch of fake freeway. With the help of some visual effects, the scene came to fruition.

The motorcycle chase scene in The Matrix Reloaded was made on a freeway

A still from the iconic bike chase scene in The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
2003’s The Matrix Reloaded was well-received by the fans. The film contained some memorable action scenes that managed to captivate the audience. One of these scenes was the motorcycle chase scene. The scene was shot over the course of three months, with a combination of some scenes shot on an actual freeway and some visual effects. The 1.5-mile stretch of fake freeway was actually constructed just for the scene.

The movie was the sequel to The Matrix (1999) and the second installment in the Matrix film series. The film featured Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Gloria Foster.

What was the damage from the Keanu Reeves movie?

A still from the iconic bike chase scene in The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
The results of performing these stunts on a real freeway cost a lot of money. Over 300 vehicles were destroyed, which can be reflected in the extensive budget of the film, which was expected to be somewhere between $127–150 million.

The stars of the movie, Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves did most of their stunts on their own. The Wachowski sisters managed to give fans some death-defying stunts that push the boundaries of what is visually possible. Without a doubt, The Matrix Reloaded‘s stunts make it one of the most iconic movies in the history of action movies.

Why are action movies successful?

Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix
One thing that has remained constant in Hollywood since it came into existence is the audiences’ love for action movies. The high-octane sequences, explosive special effects, and cheeky one-liners deliver fans an immersive cinematic experience.

It doesn’t matter if the movie is set in futuristic dystopias, a historical era, or contemporary urban landscapes, Hollywood action movies always manage to captivate the audience and earn big at the global box office continuing to push cinematic boundaries, providing an unforgettable experience for cinephiles.

The Matrix Reloaded is available for streaming on Max.