Meghan Markle's Father Hopes To Walk Again With Prosthetic Leg, After Duchess Skipped Visiting Him

Meghan Markle's estranged father, Thomas Markle, spent Christmas recovering in a Philippine rehabilitation center after losing his left leg to a blood clot.

The 81-year-old is said to be making significant progress in physiotherapy and hopes to walk again with a prosthetic leg.

Despite his optimism and desire for reconciliation, Meghan Markle reportedly has no plans to visit and remains estranged following years of conflict stemming from a paparazzi photo scandal.

Meghan's estranged father, Thomas, found reason to celebrate this Christmas as he began the challenging process of learning to walk again.

The 81-year-old underwent a below-the-knee amputation of his left leg earlier this month after a severe blood clot cut off circulation, and he spent five days in intensive care.

Speaking from his hospital bed in Cebu, Philippines, Thomas expressed gratitude for the support he has received worldwide.

According to the Daily Mail, he shared that he was making steady progress in physiotherapy, having managed to sit at the edge of the bed and even stand on his remaining leg with assistance from a nurse and walking frame, a milestone he described as a "wonderful Christmas present."

The duchess's father acknowledged that there was still a long road ahead but praised the care and dedication of the doctors and nurses supporting him.

Now in a rehabilitation unit, Thomas is accompanied by his son, Thomas Jr., who spent Christmas at his side with his girlfriend, Rose, 28, and the family's private nurse, Christine.

Thomas Jr. highlighted his father's determination, explaining that despite being on a restricted diet, he was able to enjoy a few small treats and participate in activities with other patients.

He described his father as being in "good spirits, grateful to be alive and working really hard to get better."

"He is a brave man and is determined to walk again with the aid of a prosthetic leg," he added.

Thomas, who famously fell out with Meghan before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, has endured a series of health challenges, including two heart attacks that prevented him from walking Meghan down the aisle.

He praised King Charles for stepping in during the ceremony, calling it "extremely kind and generous."

The estrangement continued after an "angry" phone call from Meghan and Harry following his second heart attack, and he also did not hear from her after a stroke in 2022.

After his recent amputation, he received a letter from Meghan via the U.S. consulate, delivered in the presence of a lawyer.

Thomas, who has yet to meet his son-in-law, Harry, expressed hope for reconciliation with his daughter and the chance to meet his grandchildren, Archie, six, and Lilibet, four.

Doctors now anticipate he will spend at least three months in rehab, gradually progressing from a walking frame to crutches before being fitted with a prosthetic leg.

His son, Thomas Jr., added, "There's a long way to go, but we had a lot to celebrate this Christmas."

Despite Thomas' condition, Meghan reportedly has no plans to travel to the Philippines to visit her father, even though a private jet could make the 15-hour journey feasible.

Sources told Page Six that the duchess prefers to spend the holidays in Montecito, California, with Harry, their children, and her mother, Doria Ragland, while she and Harry prepare for a New Year's getaway abroad.

Observers suggest that attempting direct contact with Thomas, as well as Meghan's half-siblings Samantha and Thomas Jr., could provoke emotionally charged encounters.

"I don't know why even risked sending this latest letter, especially with the situation with the last letter," said the source. "The family could share it, or they could paraphrase it to be worse than it is, and then she's f-cked."

The rift between Meghan and her father dates back to May 2018, shortly before her wedding.

Thomas, a former lighting director for the sitcom "Married… with Children," had staged paparazzi photos in a bid to improve his public image, which ultimately fueled tensions with Meghan and Harry.

In 2018, Thomas admitted to "Good Morning Britain" that he regretted the photos, saying the press had unfairly criticized him and the plan "didn't work."

"They [the press] were making me an alcoholic, calling me names, talking about the way I dress. So, I, yes, I went for this deal where this man was going to make me look better. Maybe I got sucked into it, but I believed him, and I thought it was going to work. It didn't work," he said. "I wish I hadn't done the whole thing."

In 2019, Meghan successfully sued The Mail on Sunday for publishing portions of a private letter in which she pleaded with her father to stop speaking to the media.

Prince Harry later claimed that the ordeal contributed to Meghan suffering a miscarriage.

The legal victory, confirmed by the Court of Appeal in 2021, upheld her claims of breach of privacy and copyright infringement.

The estrangement worsened when Meghan later alleged in her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey that her father had lied about his involvement with the paparazzi.