Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan Markle, has undergone “emergency surgery” after falling ill, his son has revealed.
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.
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.
He now reportedly faces a second procedure to remove a blood clot.
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.
I would ask everyone around the world to keep him in their thoughts.
“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 added: “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’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”.
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”.
Read more: Prince Harry makes playful ‘dig’ at Meghan Markle’s cooking on With Love, Meghan holiday special
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.”
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