A tense situation unfolded in the Philippines recently when Thomas Markle, father of Meghan Markle, became stranded inside a building. His daughter, Samantha Markle, first shared the worrying news. She posted on X, a social media platform, that her father was trapped on the 19th floor. He was unable to move easily due to a disability. This happened after a powerful earthquake shook the region.
The earthquake, measuring a significant 6.9 on the Richter scale, hit the Philippines on a Tuesday evening, September 30th. News reports from NBC News confirmed the severity, stating that at least 60 people lost their lives. Many others found themselves stuck in their homes or other structures. Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, a high-ranking official from the Civil Defense Office, spoke about the ongoing rescue efforts. He explained that rescuers were still within the “golden hour” for finding survivors. There were many reports of people caught in debris or unable to escape.
Thankfully, relief soon followed. The next day, Wednesday, October 1st, Samantha Markle, 60, provided an update. She confirmed her 81-year-old father was safe. She thanked everyone for their concern. Thomas was making arrangements to leave the building. Samantha added that they would take steps to prevent him from being caught in such a situation again. She hoped there would be no major aftershocks.
This incident highlights the often complicated life of Thomas Markle. He remains estranged from his daughter, Meghan Markle, 44. She has not spoken publicly about his recent ordeal. Thomas is also father to Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha, and was married to Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother.
The rift between Meghan and her father began before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. Meghan stated her father staged paparazzi photos to improve his image. In their 2022 Netflix docuseries, “Harry & Meghan,” Meghan described a call with her father. She confronted him about receiving money from tabloids for photos. He denied it. She offered to send help to get him out of his home. He refused, saying he had things to do, which Meghan found evasive. She told Harry she didn’t believe her father.
Thomas later claimed he suffered a heart attack and could not attend the royal wedding. Prince Harry, 41, expressed his sadness in the docuseries. He said Meghan lost her father because of the circumstances. Harry mentioned how people might do anything for large sums of money, like $50,000 or $100,000, for photos and stories.
Meghan and Harry’s children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, also do not have a relationship with their maternal grandfather.