Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., has undergone a partial amputation of his left leg following an emergency medical scare earlier this week in the Philippines.
According to his son, Thomas Markle Jr., the 79-year-old was rushed into a three-hour surgery on Wednesday after a severe blood clot blocked circulation to his leg. Doctors were unable to save his left foot and lower leg, he told the Daily Mail on Friday.
“There was no option,” Thomas Jr. said, describing the urgency of the situation. “I was told the leg had to be removed — it was a matter of life or death.”
He added that the next several days remain critical, with doctors closely monitoring the risk of serious infection, including sepsis or gangrene. “The flesh was black and dying,” he said, emphasizing just how rapidly the condition had worsened.
Thomas Sr. is also expected to undergo an additional procedure to remove another blood clot located higher up in his left thigh.
Thomas Jr., who serves as his father’s primary caregiver in the Philippines, first revealed the hospitalization earlier this week but declined to share details until the operation was completed. He said his father was initially taken to a local hospital before being transferred to a larger medical facility for emergency surgery.
Thomas Markle Sr. moved to the Philippines several years ago, reportedly seeking a quieter life away from the intense public scrutiny that followed his fallout with Meghan ahead of her 2018 royal wedding.
Their relationship deteriorated after he admitted to staging paparazzi photographs in the days leading up to the ceremony. He ultimately did not attend the wedding, citing heart problems that required emergency treatment at the time.
Meghan later described feeling “betrayed” by his actions during her 2021 televised interview with Oprah Winfrey.
As of now, the Duchess of Sussex has not issued any public comment regarding her father’s latest health emergency.
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