Meghan Markle’s estranged father Thomas Markle Snr, 80, was seen for the first time since moving to the Philippines to live with his son Thomas Jnr, over 7000 miles away from the Sussexes in California.
Meghan Markle does not speak to her 80-year-old father Thomas Markle Snr(Image: Instagram)
Meghan Markle’s estranged father, Thomas Markle Snr, 80, has relocated to a modest £500-a-month flat in a high-rise building on the densely populated Philippine island of Cebu where he’s been cared for by the duchess’ half brother. Thomas is now living more than 7,000 miles away from Harry and Meghan and his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet who all live in Montecito, California.
In images obtained by the Mirror, the former Hollywood lighting director and regional Emmy award-winner can be seen sitting alone outside a local supermarket on Wednesday, a day after missing Archie’s sixth birthday. Thomas, who has suffered two heart attacks and a stroke in recent years, must now contend with Cebu’s sweltering heat, with temperatures reaching 33C and humidity levels nearing 90% this week.
He has been spotted using a walking stick to navigate the area’s uneven roads and paths, which are often congested and affected by the harsh climate. A source close to the family revealed: “There are only two types of weather in Cebu: hot and humid, and hot and humid and raining. It’s brutal even for men half his age, but it’s still sad to see him looking as though he’s struggling.”
The insider continued: “Thomas and his son only recently moved into the property and they are still finding their feet in Cebu after the big move abroad, but they’re here together and are firmly supporting each other.”
Thomas Markle does not keep well and is now living over 7,000 miles from his estranged daughter in a flat in the Philippines(Image: Channel 5)
It is understood Thomas Snr and Meghan’s older half-brother Thomas Jnr, 58, who was seen leaving the flat hand-in-hand with a young woman yesterday, had been staying in a 3-star hotel in Cebu before moving into the flat.
Thomas Snr had spent the past decade living in a beachside bungalow in Rosarito, Mexico, about 250 miles from the Sussexes’ home in Montecito, California.
They moved after boxes of Thomas’ belongings, including prized possessions like family photo albums featuring Meghan, arrived on the island.
Despite being near a busy 7-lane main road, the apartment block is considered grand in the Philippines, where the average annual wage is around £7,000.
Cebu has over 3 million residents, with around 900,000 living below the poverty line. Life here is vastly different from the luxury Thomas’ daughter Meghan and son-in-law Harry enjoy at their multi-million-pound California mansion.
On Tuesday May 6, Meghan posted a photo of Archie with a message wishing her “sweet boy” a happy sixth birthday. The image, capturing the young boy silhouetted against a dazzling sunset, is said to have been snapped in Mexico.
This Instagram update came hot on the heels of Prince Harry’s contentious interview with the BBC, which aired shortly after Court of Appeal judges dismissed his challenge concerning armed protection while in the UK.
In the broadcast, the prince alleged that his father, who has undergone cancer treatment for more than a year, “won’t speak to me”.
He expressed uncertainty about how much time King Charles has left, emphasising that “life is precious”.
He suggested that the Royal Household had a hand in the decision to cut back his taxpayer-funded security following his step back from royal duties in 2020.
Touching on his polarising memoir ‘Spare’, released over two years ago, Harry remarked: “Of course some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book. They will never forgive me for lots of things. There’s no point in continuing to fight any more. Life is precious.”
He continued: “I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff. But it would be nice to reconcile.”
It’s noteworthy that Harry has not met his father-in-law Thomas Snr, although he did converse with him via phone before his marriage to Meghan in May 2018, during which he sought his blessing for the union.
Thomas, who was set to walk his daughter down the aisle at Windsor Castle, opened up about having to miss the wedding due to health issues. Following two heart attacks, he was hospitalised and had two stents inserted just days before the ceremony.
Meghan stopped speaking to her father before her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018(Image: Netflix)
Instead of being present at the globally watched event, he viewed it from an Airbnb after being discharged. This came on top of the controversy surrounding staged photos with the paparazzi prior to the big day.
He has shared with friends his plans for a quieter life abroad in search of “peace” and “kinder people”.
During a January conversation, Thomas revealed his thoughts on moving to South East Asia: “I travelled in that part of the world when I was a younger man. The people are so kind and welcoming, and they are respectful to older people. It is a place of culture and beauty.”
He added that in his old age, he yearns for a simpler, more amiable way of life: “At 80 it is time to go somewhere where the people are lovely and I can enjoy a quieter, friendlier existence. In South East Asia the medical care is good, you can live reasonably cheaply, the people are kind and respect older people and the food is healthy.
“Mostly I just want peace. At 80, none of us know how long we have left. I want whatever time I have to be peaceful with none of the awful drama of recent years.”
Discussing Charles’ role in Meghan’s wedding, Thomas Markle expressed a longing for family unity: “I’m a grandfather and he is King of England – but he too is a grandfather who would like to see his grandkids.”
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Currently, both Thomas and Charles share a distant relationship with their grandchildren.
Thomas has yet to meet Archie and Lilibet in person, while it’s reported that Charles has had only a few encounters with Archie and met Lilibet just once since her birth in June 2021 – Lilibet being named in honour of Charles’ mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Thomas Snr remained optimistic about his future, adding: “I’m not running away. I am going in search of a more positive life. Every day I see something about Meghan.
“I wish her no ill will. My dream is that one day I could bring my whole family together, like a ‘normal’ family.”