Meghan Markle’s ‘desperate’ search for estranged father Thomas | UK | News
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, made a frantic attempt to locate her estranged father, Thomas Markle, by personally calling multiple hospitals in the Philippines.
The Telegraph reported that the 44-year-old duchess was determined to deliver a handwritten note to the 81-year-old man, who reportedly had his leg amputated below the knee during surgery to remove a dangerous blood clot.
The report said Meghan had taken matters into her own hands after she had unsuccessfully emailed her father since reports of her surgery emerged on Wednesday. The Duchess has “personally called several hospitals” but so far her efforts have been in vain.
The Telegraph described how Meghan’s aides believed Mr Markle was a patient at a hospital in Cebu, Philippines, where he moved from Mexico earlier this year. However, they have not been able to confirm this information yet.
Sunday post photos spark search
The development comes after the Mail on Sunday published the latest photos of Mr Markle.
Earlier this week, the Daily Mail revealed that Mr Markle was “fighting for his life” after falling ill at his home in Cebu. He underwent emergency surgery, followed by a second surgery to remove the blood clot, resulting in his leg being amputated below the knee.
The retired television lighting director publicly appealed for Meghan to contact him after the incident, begging his daughter to see him “one more time before I die”.
Meghan and her father have not been in contact since 2018 following staged paparazzi photos ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry. However, sources claim that the duchess has “tried” to reach out to her father in the past.
Heart attack prevented Markle from attending royal wedding
Mr Markle suffered two heart attacks on the eve of Meghan and Harry’s wedding in 2018, which prevented him from flying to England. In her absence, the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles, walked Meghan down the aisle.
The Duke of Sussex never met his father-in-law, and wrote in his memoir “The Substitute” that his wife was “mourning” the loss of her father. Mr Markle has also never met his grandchildren, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.
Last contact: Post-wedding message and happy honeymoon wishes
After Meghan’s wedding ceremony, Mr. Markle texted her to tell her she looked beautiful. They discussed the wedding and wished the couple a happy honeymoon. “This was the last call,” he told a tabloid.
Before moving to the Philippines, Mr. Markle gave numerous interviews about his daughter to television channels and newspapers, begging them to get in touch. He claimed he had been “shunned and overshadowed” and promised to interview every month until he made contact.
Excerpts of the letter Meghan wrote to her father in August 2018, imploring him to stop speaking to the media, were later published in the Mail on Sunday.
‘Confusion’ as Meghan tries to communicate
The Telegraph reported that the Duchess had instructed her aides to determine whether recent news about her father’s health was accurate before attempting to contact him via email. But speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Mr Markle said he was “confused” by reports that he had tried to make contact and insisted he had not changed his number and had not received any messages.
It was later claimed the email was sent to an address Mr Markle had not used for five years, but sources said the email appeared to have been delivered and was not returned.
Surgeon describes amputation as ‘life or death’ procedure
One of Mr Markle’s surgeons in the Philippines told The Mail on Sunday that the procedure to amputate his foot was a “matter of life or death”. A large blood clot in Mr Markle’s thigh stopped blood flow to his foot and lower leg, requiring removal to prevent a deadly infection from reaching his heart, the surgeon revealed.
“I can confirm that she has reached out to her father,” Meghan’s spokesperson said Friday evening.
