Thomas Markle has broken his silence following the emergency operation that saw doctors choose to save his life by losing his leg.
02:50, 15 Feb 2026Updated 02:54, 15 Feb 2026
Thomas Markle (Image: ITV)
Thomas Markle has broken his silence after his harrowing “life or death” medical emergency that saw the 81-year-old lose his leg to save his life in December.
The father of the former Duchess of Sussex was rushed to a hospital near his home in the Philippines in an emergenecy race to save his life after he fell dangerously ill in early December. The health scare is just the latest for the retired Hollywood lighting director, who has survived two heart attacks and a debilitating stroke in recent years.
Having only relocated to the densely populated island from Mexico last year, the pensioner is now struggling to walk as he faces his toughest battle yet. Speaking to The Mail on Sunday, a resilient Thomas said it was “great fun” to join nurses and fellow patients for a celebratory lunch, complete with red roses and chocolates.
Screenshot from ‘Thomas Markle: My Story’ on Channel 5.(Image: Channel 5)
Despite initial claims that Meghan had failed to contact her father about his leg operation, it has now emerged that she desperately called round local hospitals to try and find out more details about her estranged father’s health. Her spokesperson then confirmed she had “reached out” by delivering a letter to her dad. But the mystery deepened when Thomas claimed he was “confused” by reports that his youngest child had tried to get in touch with him.
Her spokesperson later released a blistering statement in an attempt to clarify the conflicting reports. It read: “It has been exceedingly difficult for the Duchess to contact her father privately, despite her efforts over the past several days. With the support of reliable and trusted contacts, her correspondence is now safely in his hands.”
Despite Thomas and Meghan’s mum Doria breaking up when Meghan was just three-years-old, Meghan always had a close relationship with her father while growing up in California. She lived with Thomas between the ages of 11 and 18 while her mum travelled, and even called him “thoughtful, inspiring, hardworking” in a 2014 social media post.
Meghan and her father in happier times
But her mother, Doria, blasted her ex for his actions of staging the photos and talking to the press, saying in the Sussex’s documentary that she was “absolutely stunned” by his behaviour, adding that “as a parent, that’s not what you do. That’s not parenting.”
Thomas did not stay quiet over the years that followed about his daughter, repeatedly taking part in further interviews about her. He dubbed their exit from royal life the “dumbest thing they could have done”, and due to the estrangement, has never met his grandchildren, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.
But despite the ongoing turmoil, Thomas has said he will love his daughter forever. Appearing on Good Morning Britain back in September, he claimed: “I’ve always been here for her, I love her, I’ll love her forever. I want her to reach out to me and let me see my grandkids and let me have a little peace. It’s been five years.”
A younger Meghan with her father(Image: Netflix)
Speaking to The Mail on Sunday last night, Mr Markle gave an update on his health, saying it was ‘great fun’ to be able to join other patients and nurses for a celebratory lunch, complete with red roses and chocolates. The retired Hollywood lighting director added: “I’m being very well taken care of and I am grateful for all the wonderful care I am getting.”
He added: “I am adjusting slowly and doing a lot of physiotherapy. I am feeling very happy and am making good progress. I have a long way to go but am getting used to my new circumstances.”
Mr Markle became estranged from Meghan on the eve of her 2018 wedding to Harry. He has never met his son-in-law or his grandchildren Archie, six, and Lilibet, four.
