Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan Markle, has been admitted to the intensive care unit after undergoing emergency surgery in the Philippines.
The 81-year-old was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday after falling ill at his home, according to reports from the Daily Mail.
Thomas’ son, Thomas Markle Jr., confirmed the emergency, revealing that his father underwent urgent surgery and will later require another procedure to remove a blood clot. “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,” Thomas Jr., 59, told the publication. “They raced us by ambulance, with the sirens going, to a much bigger hospital in the centre of the city.”
Samantha Markle, Thomas’ 61-year-old daughter, expressed concern for her father’s health, attributing his current condition to the hardships he has endured over the years. “He is a strong man, but he has been through so much. I am praying that he is strong enough to survive this,” she said. “My father has been through two heart attacks, a stroke and an earthquake. I hope he can pull through this.”
Thomas Markle has a long history of health struggles, including heart surgery that caused him to miss Meghan’s 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. He was also hospitalized in 2022 following a stroke while living in Tijuana, Mexico. At the time, he described feeling “hugely grateful” to be alive after his recovery.
The Duchess of Sussex’s family has previously spoken critically of her, with Samantha Markle publicly criticizing Meghan’s Netflix series, With Love, Meghan, calling it “bland” and “generic.”
Thomas Markle was married to Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, from 1979 to 1987. He also has two other children, Samantha and Thomas Jr., from his first marriage to Roslyn Markle.
Authorities have not released additional updates on Thomas’ condition.
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