Meghan Markle Faces Dire Family Moment As Brother Begs Duchess To 'Show Compassion' To Ailing Father

Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle, 81, is reportedly in intensive care after emergency surgery in the Philippines.

His son says doctors warned his life was in immediate danger. Thomas has long-standing health issues, including heart attacks and a 2022 stroke.

The family rift between Meghan Markle and her father, who has begged the duchess to be allowed to see his grandkids, stems from staged paparazzi photos before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.

Thomas Markle Hospitalized: Son Confirms Emergency Surgery And Critical Condition

Meghan Markle's father is currently in intensive care after undergoing an emergency operation in the Philippines, according to his son.

Thomas Markle, 81, who has had a strained relationship with Meghan since her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, became seriously ill at home on Tuesday and was rushed to a nearby hospital before being transferred to a larger facility for urgent treatment.

His son, Thomas Markle Jr., explained: "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. They raced us by ambulance, with the sirens going, to a much bigger hospital in the center of the city. My dad has undergone emergency surgery. I would ask everyone around the world to keep him in their thoughts."

Thomas's daughter, Samantha Markle, 61, said the emotional strain of recent years has weighed heavily on their father.

"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, per the Daily Mail. "My father has been through two heart attacks, a stroke, and an earthquake. I hope he can pull through this."

Thomas Markle's Health Declines: Son Pleads For Meghan's 'Compassion' Amid Intensive Care Stay

Thomas's health has been fragile for some time. He suffered two heart attacks just before Meghan's wedding, preventing him from traveling to the UK.

King Charles ultimately walked Meghan partway down the aisle, something Markle later described as "the most gracious and kind thing to do. I shall be forever in his debt."

In 2022, he endured a major stroke that left him unable to speak; months of therapy helped him recover partial speech, but he has continued to decline physically.

This latest health emergency happened around the same time Harry delivered a paid speech to real estate professionals in Canada, while Meghan released the holiday edition of her Netflix series "With Love, Meghan," emphasizing the value of loved ones.

Thomas Jr., who has been caring for their father since the stroke, added: "My only wish is that Meghan shows my father some compassion. He is literally fighting for his life."

Thomas Markle Opens Up About Estrangement From Meghan, And Unanswered Attempts To Reconnect

Earlier this year, Thomas Sr. and his son relocated to the Philippines partly to escape constant reminders of his estrangement from Meghan.

He told the Daily Mail: "Every day there was some story or other about Meghan and Harry. It was a constant reminder that my daughter is no longer speaking to me. I still do not understand why she continues to ghost me. My only wish is to see my grandchildren before I die."

A retired, Emmy-winning Hollywood lighting director, Thomas Sr., said the rift deepened after he posed for staged paparazzi photos before the royal wedding, believing at the time that releasing better images would reduce intrusive, unflattering media coverage.

He has claimed that Meghan and Harry scolded him over the phone for cooperating with photographers, even as he lay in a hospital recovering from heart attacks.

He said he tried repeatedly, both publicly and privately, to reconnect but received no response. "It broke my heart," he said.

Meghan Markle Opens Up About Estranged Relationship With Father Over Staged Paparazzi Photos

Meanwhile, Meghan spoke publicly about her fractured relationship with her father for the first time in 2021 during her interview with Oprah Winfrey.

She explained that the breakdown began after it was revealed that Thomas had staged paparazzi photos in the lead-up to the royal wedding.

During the Oprah interview, Meghan said she confronted him about working with tabloids, but he initially denied it.

"When I asked him, he said, 'No, absolutely not [that he hadn't been talking to the tabloids],'" she recalled.

Meghan said she and Harry even offered to help suppress the story if he was telling the truth.

The Duchess Said She Couldn't Understand Why Her Dad Would Cause Her 'Pain'

When Meghan pressed her father again about staged photos, he couldn't give her a clear answer.

"I said, I just need you to tell me, and if you tell me the truth, we can help. And [Thomas] wasn't able to do that," the duchess noted during her chat with Oprah.

Pregnant with her second child at the time, Meghan said she struggled to understand his actions from a parent's perspective.

"I genuinely can't imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain to my child," she said. "So it's hard for me to reconcile that."