Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, is in intensive care after undergoing emergency surgery in the Philippines, his son has said. The 81-year-old was taken to hospital on Tuesday after falling ill at his home.
Thomas Markle underwent around three hours of surgery on Wednesday and remains in the ICU, with a further operation planned to remove a blood clot, his son Thomas Markle Jr. told the Daily Mail. “I took dad to a hospital close to our home and they did various scans and the doctors said his life was in imminent danger,” Thomas Jr. said.
The Duchess of Sussex has been estranged from her father since she married Prince Harry in 2018. She did not comment when approached by The Independent. Thomas Markle has never met his son-in-law or grandchildren.
Thomas Jr. said he expects his father to remain in hospital for a long time, facing a “gruelling” recovery. “I would ask everyone around the world to keep him in their thoughts,” he added. Thomas Markle’s other daughter, Samantha Markle, said her father has become weak due to a series of health issues, including two heart attacks before Meghan’s wedding in 2018, a stroke in 2022 that left him unable to speak for months, and a recent earthquake.
Thomas Markle moved to the Philippines earlier this year with his son for a “fresh start”. In a 2023 TV interview, which he said would be his “final ever”, he made a “deathbed plea” for a mended relationship with Meghan, saying he wished they could “sit down and talk” and “work out our differences”.
