Meghan Markle’s estranged father is in intensive care at the hospital after he was rushed into emergency surgery, his son says.
Thomas Markle, 81, was hospitalized Tuesday after he became sick at his home in the Philippines.
He reportedly underwent about three hours of surgery Wednesday and remains in the ICU as he prepares to have another surgery to remove a blood clot, his son Thomas Jr. told the Daily Mail.
The Duchess of Sussex, who has been estranged from her father since she married Prince Harry in 2018, did not immediately return The Independent’s request for comment.
“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., 59, told the British tabloid. He said Thomas was then transported in an ambulance to a bigger hospital for the emergency surgery.
“I would ask everyone around the world to keep him in their thoughts,” Thomas Jr. said, adding that he expected his dad to remain in the hospital for a long time as he faces a “grueling” recovery.
Thomas’s 61-year-old daughter Samantha Markle, Meghan’s half-sister, told the outlet that Thomas has become weak due to a series of health issues, saying: “My father has been through two heart attacks, a stroke, and an earthquake. I hope he call pull through this.”
As Samantha said, Thomas’s health has been fragile over the years. He suffered two heart attacks in the days before Meghan’s wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, which stopped him from traveling to the ceremony. Then he had a stroke in 2022 that left him unable to speak for months.
The effects of Thomas’ stroke could be seen in a 2023 TV interview that he said would be his “final ever.” With slow speech and a frail appearance with a walking stick, the estranged father said his “deathbed plea” was for a mended relationship with Meghan.
“I wish that we can sit down and talk. I wish we could work out our differences,” Thomas said at the time. He has never met his son-in-law or grandchildren, and consistently denied the accusation that he staged paparazzi pictures ahead of Meghan and Harry’s wedding, which is what the Duchess said broke their relationship.
Thomas, joined by Thomas Jr., moved to the Philippines earlier this year for a “fresh start.” When a devastating 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck the Philippines and killed at least 79 people in October, Samantha claimed on social media that her father was trapped on the 19th floor of a building and unable to walk.
However, Thomas refuted Samantha’s story and insisted he was safe and comfortable as the earthquake’s epicenter was about 100 miles from his home.
