Meghan Markle’s father Thomas has leg amputated in ‘life-saving surgery’

He is in intensive care, his son Thomas Jr said

Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan Markle, recently underwent “emergency surgery” after falling ill, his son revealed.

In the latest news on Thomas’ health, reports state that he has had to have his leg amputated.

The Duchess of Sussex has reportedly been estranged from her father for many years now. In the lead-up to her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, she and her dad fell out.

According to her half-brother Thomas Jr, their father Thomas, 81, was rushed to hospital on Tuesday. He is currently living in the Philippines.

Thomas Markle was rushed to hospital after falling ill (Credit: ITV)

Meghan Markle’s father Thomas in hospital after falling ill

According to the MailOnline, Thomas underwent around three hours of surgery on Wednesday and remains in intensive care.

Now, the Mail has revealed that he has had to have life-saving surgery to amputate his left foot and lower leg.

His son Thomas Jr confirmed the news on Thursday night.

He told the publication: “My dad is being very brave. His foot turned blue and then black. It happened very quickly. I took him to a local hospital and they did some scans and an ultrasound and said the leg had to be amputated. There was no option. I was told the leg had to be removed and it was a case of life or death.”

This week, it was reported that Thomas Markle was facing a procedure to have a blood clot removed.

His son Thomas Jr told the publication: “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. They raced us by ambulance, with the sirens going, to a much bigger hospital in the centre of the city. My dad has undergone emergency surgery. I would ask everyone around the world to keep him in their thoughts.”

Meanwhile, Thomas’ daughter and Meghan’s half-sister Samantha has also stated, as per reports: “He is a strong man, but he has been through so much. I am praying that he is strong enough to survive this. My father has been through two heart attacks, a stroke and an earthquake. I hope he can pull through this.”

Meghan urged to ‘show compassion’

Following the life-saving surgery, Thomas Jr has outlined how the next 72 hours are critical for his father’s survival.

Thomas Jr has also urged Meghan Markle to get in touch with them.

He said: “Dad has a long road ahead. This was a major operation but he needed it to save his life. I would ask everyone to keep him in their thoughts. He is a brave and tough man. I would appeal to Meghan to show him compassion at this very difficult time.”

Elsewhere, the story behind Meghan Markle’s strained bond with her father is coming to light again.

Meghan became estranged from her father in the lead-up to her wedding to Harry (Credit: SplashNews.com)

Meghan’s relationship with her dad

For many years, Meghan reportedly hasn’t had a relationship with her father.

In the months leading up to Meghan and Harry’s wedding in May 2018, retired television lighting director Thomas was accused of staging paparazzi photos.

The images showed him browsing the internet on Meghan and Harry’s nuptials. He then didn’t attend her wedding after undergoing heart surgery.

He has since apologised for the photos and has tried to reconcile with Meghan on several attempts.

In 2019, a private letter Meghan had written to her father the year prior was published. In it, it detailed her deep feelings about their relationship. Meghan later sued the Mail on Sunday for publishing the private note.

During a court hearing in 2021, Thomas said the letter “signalled the end of our relationship”.

Thomas Markle moved to the Philippines in January (Credit: SplashNews.com)

What has Thomas said about his daughter?

Over the years since, Thomas has made several pleas to Meghan on live TV.

In January of this year, he announced he was moving to Asia to mark a “fresh start”.

Speaking to the MailOnline, Thomas said that he wishes Meghan “no ill-will”.

He added: “My dream is that one day I could bring my whole family together, like a ‘normal’ family. The British people have been so kind to me. I’d like to thank them for their support and kindness.”