Thomas Markle, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, has made a desperate public plea for contact with his daughter from a hospital bed in the Philippines, following a major surgery that resulted in the amputation of part of his leg.
A 'Life or Death' Surgery and a Father's Plea
The 81-year-old underwent what his surgeon described as a 'life or death' operation on 3 December. The procedure, an amputation below the left knee, was necessary because of a serious foot infection that doctors feared could spread to his heart with potentially fatal consequences.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday from his hospital bed, Mr Markle revealed his profound distress at the ongoing estrangement from Meghan. "I don't want to die estranged," he stated, issuing a direct plea for her to call him. He expressed a desire to see his son-in-law, Prince Harry, and his grandchildren "before it's too late."
His surgeon, speaking with the patient's permission, confirmed the gravity of the situation, noting that while Thomas Markle is doing well, he is "not out of the woods yet."
Conflicting Accounts of Contact
Thomas Markle claimed he has received no communication from his daughter during this health crisis. He told the paper he was "confused" by any suggestions that she had reached out and emphasised he had purposefully kept his phone number unchanged since their fallout so she could always contact him.
This account was seemingly supported by hospital staff, who told the Mail that they had no record of any calls from Meghan or her representatives. "If Meghan or anyone connected with her had called here we would have known," a source stated.
However, a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex offered a contradictory narrative to the BBC, asserting that Meghan had in fact reached out to her father upon learning of the need for his amputation.
A Long-Standing Royal Estrangement
The father and daughter have been publicly estranged since the period leading up to her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. The rift began after it emerged Thomas had collaborated with paparazzi photographers, leading him to pull out of the ceremony citing health issues. King Charles III subsequently stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle.
In the years since, Thomas Markle has given several interviews critical of Harry and Meghan's decision to step back from royal duties. In one notable appearance on Channel 5, he suggested they were "turning into lost souls" and "cheapening" the royal family.
The latest hospital-bed plea underscores the deep and unresolved personal rift at the heart of this very public family drama, set against the backdrop of a serious medical emergency.
