Meghan Markle has managed to reach out to her father, Thomas Markle, following his recent emergency surgery, after days of uncertainty about whether the Duchess of Sussex had been able to contact him.
A spokesperson for Meghan, 44, confirmed on December 10 that a personal letter had been delivered to Thomas, 81, who is recovering in a hospital in the Philippines after undergoing a lower leg amputation on December 3.
“With the support of reliable and trusted contacts, her correspondence is now safely in his hands,” the spokesperson said.
News of Thomas Markle’s surgery sparked reports that Meghan had been attempting to reach him but was unable to make contact through phone calls or emails. Sources close to the duchess said her outreach efforts were initially unsuccessful, leading to claims and counterclaims about whether any message had reached him.
According to people familiar with the situation, Meghan emailed her father on December 5 after learning of his medical emergency. She kept the outreach private until reports later emerged quoting Thomas as saying he had not received any message from her. Those close to Meghan then confirmed that she had, in fact, made multiple attempts to contact him.
Meghan is also said to have personally called several hospitals in an effort to locate her father and relied on intermediaries to determine the best way to communicate with him as he recovered. Reports indicated that Thomas did not have access to his phone at the time, and Meghan does not have a direct working phone number for him.
Thomas Markle has faced ongoing health challenges in recent years, including a stroke in 2022.
Meghan has been estranged from her father since shortly before her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. The relationship reportedly deteriorated after Thomas admitted to staging paparazzi photos and was accused by Meghan of being dishonest about his dealings with the media. She has previously spoken about the estrangement, saying she felt the bond with her father had been permanently damaged.
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