Meghan Markle is reportedly trying to send a handwritten note to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, following his emergency surgery earlier this week to amputate his left leg.
A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex, 44, told PEOPLE on Friday, Dec. 5, that Meghan had “reached out to her father” after learning he underwent the procedure on Dec. 3. Meghan and her father, 81, have been estranged since 2018.
According to PEOPLE, Meghan emailed Thomas late Friday morning after discovering he had the surgery in the Philippines. The outreach was not publicly disclosed at the time in an effort to keep the matter private.
However, The Mail on Sunday reported on Dec. 6 that Thomas said he was “confused” by claims that Meghan had contacted him, insisting he had not heard from his daughter.
A source later told The Times on Dec. 8 that Meghan now intends to send a handwritten note to her father at the hospital in Cebu where he is expected to remain for about a week.
“There’s been progress, but she hasn’t made contact [yet] … It’s hoped and expected that there will be some form of communication in the next 24 hours,” a source close to Meghan told the publication.
A spokesperson for the Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to PEOPLE when contacted for comment.
PEOPLE previously reported that Meghan personally called several hospitals while attempting to locate her father but struggled to confirm where he was receiving treatment. Identifying the hospital would allow for a hand-delivered note, as Thomas is reportedly not in possession of his phone, according to a journalist who has been in contact with him. Meghan is also said not to have a working phone number for her father.
The outlet understands that Meghan’s team has sought help from those close to Thomas to determine the best way to reach him as he recovers. It is believed that the email Meghan sent did not return an error message, and efforts to obtain updated contact details are ongoing.
Thomas Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., revealed last week that his father underwent below-the-knee amputation after a reported blood clot cut off circulation to his leg. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said the emergency surgery was “life or death,” explaining that his father’s foot had turned “blue then black” before doctors decided amputation was necessary.
The surgery follows several years of reported health challenges for Thomas, including a stroke in 2022.
Meghan has been estranged from her father since shortly before her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. The fallout began after Thomas admitted to staging paparazzi photos and, according to Meghan, was not truthful about his communications with the media.
The Duchess of Sussex addressed the painful rupture during her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, stating, “I’ve lost my father.”
In the couple’s Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries released the following year, Prince Harry said he bore some responsibility for the breakdown. “She had a father before this and now she doesn’t have a father,” he said, adding, “If Meg wasn’t with me, then her dad would still be her dad.”
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