Paul GlynnCulture reporter
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A letter from Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has now reached her estranged father, who is in hospital in the Philippines.
Thomas Markle, who has reportedly had his left lower leg amputated, told the Mail on Sunday he does not want to die while distanced from his daughter.
He said he wishes to meet his grandchildren, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, as well as Meghan’s husband, the Duke of Sussex.
A spokesperson for the duchess said it “has been exceedingly difficult for the Duchess to contact her father privately, despite her efforts over the past several days”.
But, the spokesperson added, Meghan’s letter “is now safely in his hands” thanks to the support of “reliable and trusted contacts”.
On Friday, a spokesperson for the Duchess said she had attempted to reach out to him in hospital but had been unable to locate him.
Mr Markle, who moved from Mexico to live in the Philippines, told the newspaper he had not received any messages to his usual phone number.
According to the PA news agency, the Duchess does not have his phone number and believes he is not in possession of his phone while in hospital.
Her team confirmed she had in fact emailed her dad, but the paper reported that he “never uses email”.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Daily Mail’s parent company DMG Media confirmed that its journalist, Caroline Graham, “has had a close relationship with Mr Markle since 2018”.
They said Mr Markle – a retired TV lighting director, who previously suffered a heart attack – “contacted Ms Graham when he was taken ill and asked her to travel to the Philippines to be with him”.
“Ms Graham has made clear that if she can do anything to facilitate contact between Mr Markle and his daughter to have a conversation, then she would be happy to do so,” they added. “That remains the case.”
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the duchess said: “Given that a Daily Mail reporter has remained at her father’s bedside throughout, broadcasting each interaction and breaching clear ethical boundaries, it has been exceedingly difficult for the Duchess to contact her father privately, despite her efforts over the past several days.
“With the support of reliable and trusted contacts, her correspondence is now safely in his hands.”
Relationship broke down
The relationship between Meghan and her father broke down in the run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.
During the couple’s engagement, the media interest in Thomas Markle and his family was intense.
Mr Markle was found to have colluded with photographers who paid him for photos which appeared to show him preparing for the wedding.
The fallout saw him pull out of his daughter’s wedding just days before the ceremony in Windsor, citing health problems.
King Charles III – who was then the Prince of Wales – walked Meghan down the aisle instead.
It is not clear if Meghan ever resumed any proper relationship with her father following her marriage.
He was critical of his daughter and son-in-law’s decision to step back from public duty in the UK and criticise the royal family.
In one media interview he said: “I think they’re both turning into lost souls at this point.”
“I don’t know what they’re looking for,” he added. “I don’t think they know what they’re looking for.”
On Sunday, Mr Markle told the Mail: “I’ve always said I am open to reconciling with my daughter. I have never stopped loving her.
“I don’t want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too.”
