Featured Image Credit: Channel 5
Topics: Meghan Markle, Royal Family, UK News, US News
Rhianna Benson
Thomas Markle, the estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex, has undergone surgery to amputate his leg.
In news broken by his son on Wednesday (3 December), it was revealed that a blood clot had prompted the procedure, which saw the 81-year-old's left leg taken away from below the knee.
Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Jr, told the Daily Mail this week that a severe blockage had cut off blood circulation to his father's limb.
"His foot turned blue and then black," he explained. "It happened very quickly.
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"I took him to a local hospital, and they did some scans and an ultrasound and said the leg had to be amputated."
Thomas Sr has had no contact with the 44-year-old duchess since she wed Prince Harry back in 2018 - a ceremony he was unable to attend due to health complications.
In the years that followed, the former television lighting director endured a stroke, which cost him his ability to speak at the time.
Back in January of this year, he made the move to the Philippines, after being 'constantly reminded of my estrangement from my daughter' in the States.
He previously told press: "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."
Earlier this week, Markle Sr was first transported via ambulance to a hospital in Cebu, a central province in the Southeast Asian country, before being rushed into emergency surgery.
Though he's now in a stable condition, his son added that he'll need further surgery in the coming weeks to remove a second clot in his left thigh.
His other daughter, Samantha Markle, added of his health: "My father has been through two heart attacks, a stroke, and an earthquake.
"I hope he can pull through this."
"One of his doctors said the next two or three days are critical," Thomas Jr also explained. "His left leg has been removed below the knee.
"They were worried about infection setting in, sepsis or gangrene. The flesh was black and dying. There was no option given."
He added: "It was either, 'We have to operate now and remove the leg or he may die'. It was a life-threatening situation."
Thomas Jr went on to add: "I would ask everyone around the world to keep him in their thoughts."