The duchess reached out to Thomas Markle after his emergency leg amputation, though he claims he hasn’t heard from her
Meghan Markle attempted to reach out to her estranged father Thomas Markle following his emergency leg amputation in the Philippines, though differing accounts have emerged about whether the communication was successful. The duchess sent an email to her 81-year-old father late Friday morning Pacific time after learning about the medical procedure, according to reports.
A spokesperson for the 44-year-old Duchess of Sussex confirmed she reached out the same day she learned about the health crisis. The outreach was not initially disclosed publicly in an effort to keep the matter private between the long-estranged family members who have not spoken since 2018.
Claims of no contact surface
The Mail on Sunday reported on Saturday that Thomas expressed confusion about the statement regarding Meghan’s outreach, claiming he had not received any communication from his daughter. The report stated that Thomas had not heard from Meghan despite the assertion that she attempted contact following his serious medical emergency.
Sources close to the situation indicated that the email Meghan sent did not generate an error message or bounce-back notification, suggesting the message was delivered to the address on file. Efforts to obtain updated contact information for Thomas remain ongoing as his representatives and Meghan’s team work to clarify the communication breakdown.
History of estrangement
The relationship between Meghan and her father fractured in 2018 when Thomas became involved in staging paparazzi photographs ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry. The breach has persisted for seven years, with the father and daughter maintaining no public contact throughout that time despite various reported attempts at reconciliation from both sides.
Sources indicate this was not the first time Meghan has attempted to contact her father over the years. The duchess has previously made efforts to reach out to Thomas, though the specifics of those attempts and their outcomes have remained largely private.
Hospital and family responses
A hospital source speaking with The Mail on Sunday stated that if Meghan or anyone connected with her had called the facility, staff would have been aware of it. The source indicated that as far as the hospital knew, no such contact occurred while Thomas remained in intensive care recovering from the amputation procedure.
Meghan’s team has sought clarification from those close to Thomas regarding the best method of contacting him as he recovers. The effort suggests a genuine attempt to establish communication despite the challenges posed by their long estrangement and his current medical situation.
Father expresses desire for reconciliation
Thomas spoke about his estrangement from Meghan, acknowledging uncertainty about whether his current health crisis represents the right circumstances for reconnecting. He expressed that he remains open to reconciling with his daughter and has never stopped loving her despite their years of separation.
The retired lighting director stated he does not want to die estranged from Meghan and expressed hope of meeting his grandchildren, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4. He also mentioned it might be nice to meet Prince Harry, 41, whom he has never encountered in person despite Harry’s marriage to his daughter.
Thomas noted he has maintained the same phone number throughout the entire period of estrangement, explaining that he has always wanted Meghan to be able to call him if she chose to do so. This detail adds another layer to the communication confusion, as it suggests accessibility should not have been an issue.
Both Thomas and his son, Thomas Markle Jr., did not respond to requests for comment about the situation. The lack of response leaves many questions unanswered about what actually transpired with the attempted communication and whether future contact might be possible as Thomas continues his recovery in the Philippines.
Source: PEOPLE.com