Meghan makes contact with her estranged father in hospital days after his surgery

The Duchess of Sussex has made contact with her estranged father, believed to be the first time she has done so since before the royal wedding seven years ago.

A letter written by Meghan was delivered to Thomas Markle's bedside as he recovers in hospital in the Philippines, a spokesperson has confirmed.

The 81-year-old had his leg amputated last Wednesday after he was rushed to a hospital in Cebu, where he has been living since January.

A large blood clot in his left thigh had developed, causing his foot to turn black and swell to twice its normal size.

Earlier this week, Markle's surgeon called the operation "a success" while insisting there was "no option but amputation".

Days after the surgery, Markle had begged his daughter to see him "one more time before I die".

On Wednesday, a typed letter from Meghan was delivered to her father, the duchess' team confirmed.

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Meghan was unwilling to speak to her father on the phone, fearing their conversation would be overheard or reported on. Hours after Markle's surgery, he gave a bedside interview to a British newspaper, claiming his daughter had not called him after his operation.

He said: "I don't want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids and Harry."

Meghan's spokesperson 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."

The spokesperson said time zone differences and logistics caused the delay in sending the letter.

The duchess had personally called hospitals in Cebu trying to reach her father after sending an email to him. But the email address was said to be out of use. She is believed to have either lost or deleted his phone number.

Meghan is hoping the contents of her letter will remain private after large parts of a note she sent to her father in 2018 were published by The Mail on Sunday.

Three years later, the duchess won a court case against the publisher, with the judge ruling her letter was "personal, private and not matters of legitimate public interest".

However, Meghan was later criticised for sharing private details of conversations between members of the royal family during an interview with Oprah in 2021.

Meghan and her father have not spoken since before she married Prince Harry in May, 2018.

Father and daughter became estranged after he was caught staging paparazzi photos in the lead up to the royal wedding.

He was unable to attend the celebrations at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle after suffering two heart attacks in the lead up. King Charles walked his daughter-in-law down the aisle instead.

Markle has not met Prince Harry, nor the couple's two children Prince Archie, who is six, and Princess Lilibet, four.

A spokesperson for DMG Media, which owns the Mail on Sunday, said: "Our journalist, Caroline Graham, has had a close relationship with Mr Markle since 2018. He contacted Ms Graham when he was taken ill and asked her to travel to the Philippines to be with him. Nothing has been published without his specific consent and that of his son.

"Ms Graham has confirmed to the Duchess of Sussex's representative that Mr Markle does not have an active email address but that his phone number, which the Duchess has previously used for him, remains unchanged.

"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. That remains the case.

"Any suggestion we have 'puppeteered' Mr Markle is entirely false and strongly denied."

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