Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, 'personally calling' hospitals to find dad Thomas Markle
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has "personally called" hospitals in a bid to contact her estranged father, Thomas Markle, after he underwent emergency surgery.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has "personally called" hospitals in a bid to contact her estranged father.
The former Suits star hasn't had contact with Thomas Markle since her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 but is keen to have a handwritten note delivered to the retired lighting director in the Philippines after he had his leg amputated below the knee during surgery to remove a blood clot.
Sources told The Telegraph Meghan has “personally called several hospitals”, without success, to try to find her father, with her aides working on the belief he is a patient at a medical facility in Cebu, where he relocated to earlier this year, but have not yet confirmed this is the case.
Despite previous reports Meghan had "reached out" to Thomas in the wake of him requiring emergency surgery, the hospital - speaking with the permission of their high-profile patient - confirmed that their administration office, reception, intensive care unit nor doctors or nurses attending to Thomas had heard from the Duchess or her representatives.
A source told the Daily Mail: "Mr Markle is a VIP patient. Of course we all know who he is. If Meghan or anyone connected with her had called here we would have known. It is a big hospital by Filipino standards but we all know each other and we all talk.
"We were all confused when we saw the story that the Duchess had reached out to her dad. As far as we are aware it didn't happen. We would love to see the Duchess here in the Philippines!"
Thomas admitted he "would love to speak to" his daughter and meet his grandchildren Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, before he dies.
He said: "Of course I want to speak to her but I am not sure if these are the right circumstances.
"I've always said I'm open to reconciling with my daughter. I have never stopped loving her. I don't want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too."
Meghan’s spokesman said on Friday (05.12.25): “I can confirm she has reached out to her father.”
The Daily Mail confirmed their journalist, who is in the Philippines with Thomas and his son Thomas Jr., had advised Meghan's representatives that the duchess' dad still has the same phone number she has previously contacted him on.
A spokesperson for DMG Media said: “Our journalist, Caroline Graham, has had a close relationship with Mr Markle since 2018. He contacted Ms Graham when he was taken ill and asked her to travel to the Philippines to be with him. Nothing has been published without his specific consent and that of his son.
“Ms Graham has confirmed to the Duchess of Sussex’s representative that Mr Markle does not have an active email address but that his phone number, which the Duchess has previously used for him, remains unchanged.
“Ms Graham has made clear that if she can do anything to facilitate contact between Mr Markle and his daughter to have a conversation, then she would be happy to do so. That remains the case.
“Any suggestion we have ‘puppeteered’ Mr Markle is entirely false and strongly denied.”
