Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle, has reportedly undergone surgery to remove his left leg below the knee.
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The Daily Mail quoted his son, Thomas Jr., as saying the procedure was necessary and framed by doctors as a "life or death" decision
The Duchess of Sussex has been estranged from her father since her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry
Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle, has undergone surgery to amputate his left leg and is now in intensive care, according to his son.
Thomas, 81, had the limb removed below the knee on Wednesday, Dec. 3, after a blood clot in his thigh reportedly cut off circulation. According to theDaily Mail, the three-hour procedure took place in the Philippines, where the retired lighting director relocated with his son earlier this year.
His son, Thomas Markle Jr., told the outlet, "My dad is being very brave. His foot turned blue then black. It happened very quickly. I took him to a local hospital and they did some scans and an ultrasound and said the leg had to be amputated."
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"There was no option," he added. "I was told the leg had to be removed and it was a case of life or death."
A representative for the Duchess of Sussex had no comment. PEOPLE has also reached out to Thomas Markle Jr. for comment.
Thomas is said by his son to be recovering in an intensive care ward at the hospital. "One of his doctors said the next two or three days are critical," Thomas Jr. told theDaily Mail. "His left leg has been removed below the knee. They were worried about infection setting in — sepsis or gangrene."
Thomas has faced ongoing health issues in recent years and reportedly suffered a stroke in 2022.
Meghan, 44, has been estranged from her father since her 2018 royal wedding toPrince Harry, following his admission that he staged paparazzi photos with a British tabloid and, according to Meghan,lied to her about speaking to the press. (He later expressed regret over the incident, saying in 2021, "I wish I hadn't done the whole thing.") Thomas ultimately pulled out of attending the wedding, and the then–Prince Charles walked Meghan down the aisle at St. George's Chapel.
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In her2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan spoke candidly about the breakdown of her relationship with her father, saying, "I've lost my father." She recalled confronting him about the staged paparazzi photos, explaining, "We called my dad and I asked him… He said, 'No, absolutely not.' "
Meghan said she urged him to be honest, so she could help: "I said, 'If you tell me the truth, we can help,' and he wasn't able to do that. And that, for me, has really resonated, especially now as a mother." She added that she "can't imagine" intentionally causing pain to her own children, making the rift difficult to reconcile.
In their2022Harry & Meghandocuseries, Harry said he"shouldered" some of the blame for the fallout."She had a father before this and now she doesn't have a father," he said, adding, "If Meg wasn't with me, then her dad would still be her dad."
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News of Thomas's health comes as the latest installment of Meghan's Netflix lifestyle series,With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration, premiered on Dec. 3. The special offers a glimpse into how Meghan and Harry are creating their own traditions in Montecito, Calif. Throughout, Meghan highlights the family rituals she's building with their children,Prince Archie, 6 andPrincess Lilibet, 4 — crafting advent calendars and cooking the Christmas Eve gumbo she learned from her mother,Doria Ragland.
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