Thomas Markle in Intensive Care Following Emergency Surgery, Family Says

Thomas Markle is in intensive care after undergoing emergency surgery in the Philippines, his family said this week. “He is a brave man and a fighter,” his son Thomas Jr. said.

Thomas Markle, the estranged father of Meghan Markle, is in intensive care following emergency surgery in the Philippines.

The 81-year-old was rushed to a hospital last Tuesday, December 2, after falling seriously ill at the home he shares with his son, Thomas Markle Jr., in Cebu.

His son, Thomas Jr., who has been his father’s primary caregiver since he suffered a stroke in 2022, said the situation was critical when it began.

“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 centre of the city,” he told the Daily Mail. “My dad has undergone emergency surgery. I would ask everyone around the world to keep him in their thoughts.”

An update a few days later reported that Thomas Sr. is “heavily medicated on painkillers and other drugs” and “hooked up to all kinds of machines.” Thomas Jr. said, “He’s pretty much out of it. The doctors say he is stable, which is good news. He is a brave man and a fighter.”

His sister, Samantha Markle, 61, said the family is hopeful but realistic. “We are all hoping and praying that Dad pulls through. He has a long journey of recovery ahead of him,” she told the Daily Mail.

In an earlier statement, she also said, “He is a strong man, but he has been through so much. I am praying that he is strong enough to survive this. My father has been through two heart attacks, a stroke and an earthquake. I hope he can pull through this.”

In a report from The Mirror, Thomas Jr. confirmed his father’s condition remains stable. “The doctors say he is stable, which is good news. He is a brave man and a fighter,” he added.

Thomas Sr. remains in the intensive care unit, with another procedure expected to remove a blood clot

Thomas Sr. and his son relocated to the Philippines in January 2025. Thomas Jr. said at the time that the move was, in part, to get away from the ongoing tension and public attention surrounding the family rift.

While Meghan Markle has not made any public comments about her father’s condition, Thomas Jr. expressed a hope for compassion.

“My only wish is that Meghan shows my father some compassion. He is literally fighting for his life,” he said.