Duchess of Sussex making continued efforts to contact ailing dad after leg amputation as he pleads 'I don't want to die estranged from Meghan'

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is reportedly making continued efforts to contact her ailing father after he lost his leg in an emergency amputation surgery, although reports claim they have been unsuccessful.

US and UK outlets have reported that Meghan reached out to her dad Thomas Markle, 81, via email late Friday morning, and several times since, after learning he had undergone the "life-saving" procedure.

Meghan's attempt to contact her father, with whom she has been estranged since 2018, was not initially made public but a spokesperson for the duchess later confirmed that "she has reached out to her father".

Those in Markle's camp, however, claim that he has not heard from his daughter, with the Daily Mail reporting that Markle was "confused" by reports that she had made contact.

According to People, Meghan's reported email was not voided and did not generate a bounce-back notification.

The publication reports that the Duchess' efforts to reach out to her father are ongoing but proving difficult as Markle does not currently own a phone and Meghan has no current contact method.

People also reported that Meghan has personally called several hospitals in an attempt to locate her father, but is not sure where he is being treating and her team has attempted to confirm the best contact method from those close to Markle.

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A source from Markle's hospital told the Daily Mail: "If Meghan or anyone connected with her had called here, we would have known... As far as we are aware, it didn't happen."

"Of course I want to speak to her but I am not sure if these are the right circumstances", Markle said, per the Daily 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."

Earlier it was reported that Markle begged Meghan to see him "one more time before I die", per The Telegraph UK.

The father and daughter duo have not been in touch since 2018, following the fallout over staged paparazzi photographs ahead of the wedding between Meghan and Prince Harry.

Despite the scandal, Markle's invitation to the royal wedding was not revoked but he did not attend due to heart issues.

Markle has never spoken with Prince Harry or met his grandchildren, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.

Markle recently fell ill at his home in the Philippines and was rushed to the hospital, according to his son Thomas Markle Jr.

Thomas previously revealed that Markle had been taken to hospital and was in a "stable condition" in the ICU but later since revealed that the 81-year-old underwent a three-hour operation to remove his left foot and lower leg after a blood clot complication.

"My dad is being very brave. His foot turned blue and then black. It happened very quickly," Thomas Jr told the Daily Mail.

"I took him to a local hospital and they did some scans and an ultrasound and said the leg had to be amputated."

Markle was rushed via ambulance from the local hospital to a bigger hospital in Cebu, Philippines to undergo the amputation.

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