Meghan and her father have been publicly estranged since prior to her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.

Meghan Markle reaches out to estranged father after he has emergency leg amputation

Meghan and her father have been publicly estranged since prior to her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.

By Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff is an award-winning journalist and staff writer at ** with over 12 years of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry.

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December 5, 2025 8:18 p.m. ET

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Meghan Markle; Thomas Markle. Credit:

Leigh Vogel/Getty; ITV/Shutterstock

Meghan Markle is reaching out to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, after reports that he underwent emergency leg amputation earlier this week.

"I can confirm she has reached out to her father," a spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex tells **. The rep didn't provide further details.

Previously, Thomas' son, Thomas Markle Jr., told the *Daily Mail* that his father had a leg amputated below the knee on Wednesday in the Philippines, where he moved earlier this year.

"One of his doctors said the next two or three days are critical," Thomas Jr. told the outlet. "His left leg has been removed below the knee. They were worried about infection setting in — sepsis or gangrene. The flesh was black and dying. There was no option given. It was either 'we have to operate now and remove the leg or he may die.' It was a life-threatening situation."

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend a gala in 2022.

Mike Coppola/Getty

According to the report, Thomas is in stable condition in the intensive care unit, but faces another procedure to remove a blood clot in his left thigh. His son said his father "has a long road ahead," and added, "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."

The operation follows reports of several other medical issues for Thomas in recent years, including a stroke in 2022.

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Meghan and her father have been publicly estranged since prior to her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. According to PEOPLE, their issues started after Thomas admitted to staging paparazzi photos and, according to his daughter, lied to her about his dealings with the press. As a result, Thomas didn't attend the royal nuptials.

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In the couple's famous sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, Meghan opened up about the estrangement, telling Winfrey, “I grieve a lot. I mean, I’ve lost my father. I lost a baby. I nearly lost my name. I mean, there’s the loss of identity. But I’m still standing, and my hope for people in the takeaway from this is to know that there’s another side.”

And, in the 2022 docuseries *Harry & Meghan*, Prince Harry said he blamed himself for the rift. "Of course, it's incredibly sad what happened. She had a father before this and now she doesn't have a father," he said, adding, "and I shouldered that because if Meg wasn't with me, then her dad would still be her dad."

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