Meghan Markle’s father is getting fitted for a prosthetic after undergoing an emergency surgery last year that required his leg to be partially amputated.
Thomas Markle Sr, 81, experienced a blood clot in his left leg in December that could have been fatal. He was rushed to the hospital, where surgeons spent three hours amputating his limb below the knee.
Months later, Thomas Markle Jr revealed in a livestream that his father was going through physical therapy and would soon be trying out prosthetic attachments.
‘We’re going to have to get him fitted for a prosthetic here pretty soon and get that man walking again. That’s the goal. That’s the priority,’ Markle Jr said.
Markle Sr, a former Hollywood lighting director, lives in the Philippines and has been estranged from his daughter since her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.
The Duchess of Sussex, who lives in Montecito, California, reportedly has not visited her father in the hospital and instead sent him a letter that was delivered by US Embassy officials.
In the same stream, Markle Jr brutally criticized his sister for refusing to visit their father and allegedly not helping pay for his medical bills.
Meghan’s falling out with her father began when he staged photographs of himself in a cafe with the British paparazzi days ahead of her wedding.
Thomas Markle Sr, 81, is getting fitted for a prosthetic leg, his son said in a recent livestream
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has not visited her father in the hospital since he had to have left leg amputated below the knee in December
Because of the paparazzi controversy and his worsening health issues, he withdrew from the wedding, where he was set to walk Meghan down the aisle.
When he was unable to attend her wedding at St George’s Chapel, Meghan entered on her own and was walked part-way down the aisle by King Charles, an act Markle Sr called ‘incredibly kind and generous’.
Markle Sr has been in increasingly poor health in recent years.
He suffered a massive stroke in 2022 and lost his ability to speak but partially regained it thanks to speech therapy.
Mr Markle has never met his son-in-law Prince Harry or grandchildren Archie, six and four-year-old Lilibet.
He moved to the Philippines in January telling the Daily Mail: ‘I was constantly reminded of my estrangement from my daughter while I was in the US and Mexico.
‘I could not escape her and Harry who were always on TV with their shows, books and interviews.
‘So I moved to the other side of the world hoping for a quieter life.’
Meghan’s falling out with her father began when he staged photos of himself in a cafe with the British paparazzi days ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018
In September, Markle told the Daily Mail: ‘My only wish before I die is to meet my grandkids. I want them to know I love them and care for them.’
His son said the family had been ‘deeply touched’ by the outpouring of love and support for his father from around the globe following his blood clot.
He said: ‘Dad has a long road ahead. This was a major operation but he needed it to save his life. I would ask everyone to keep him in their thoughts.
‘He is a brave and tough man. I would appeal to Meghan to show him compassion at this very difficult time.’
