Meghan Markle's dad Thomas Markle Snr is "struggling" with the intense heat of the Philippines as he lives in a £500-a-month high-rise flat in the country, an insider has claimed. The 80-year-old former Hollywood lighting director has settled in a modest £500-a-month high-rise flat on the densely populated island of Cebu, more than 7,000 miles from his daughter, son-in-law Prince Harry, and grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Markle, who has suffered two heart attacks and a stroke in recent years, is said to be "struggling" with the region’s brutal tropical climate. Cebu’s temperatures this week soared to 33°C with humidity levels nearing 90%, presenting serious challenges for the octogenarian, who now uses a walking stick to navigate uneven roads and humid streets.
Markle was recently spotted sitting alone outside a local supermarket, visibly fatigued in the sweltering heat just one day after his grandson Archie’s sixth birthday.
A source close to the family told The Mirror: “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 added: “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 is being cared for by his son and Meghan’s older half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., 58, who was recently seen leaving their new flat with a young woman.
The pair had previously been staying at a three-star hotel before moving into their apartment, which, though modest by Western standards, is considered relatively upscale in Cebu, a city where the average annual wage is just over £7,000 and nearly a third of residents live below the poverty line.
The contrast between Thomas’s new surroundings and Meghan and Harry’s life in Montecito, California, where they reside in a multi-million-pound estate, is stark. Meghan marked Archie’s birthday this week with a warm social media post, sharing a silhouetted photo of her son at sunset, reportedly taken during a past visit to Mexico.
Though Thomas has never met Archie or Lilibet, he has continued to express hope for reconciliation. Speaking earlier this year about his decision to move abroad, he said: “At 80, it is time to go somewhere where the people are lovely and I can enjoy a quieter, friendlier existence.
"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.”
That "awful drama" includes his very public estrangement from Meghan, which began in the lead-up to her royal wedding in May 2018.
Thomas was initially meant to walk his daughter down the aisle at Windsor Castle but pulled out at the last minute due to serious health concerns. Instead, King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, stepped in to give Meghan away. T
homas later admitted to staging paparazzi photos ahead of the event, which only deepened the rift.
Despite everything, Thomas has reiterated that he harbours no ill will toward his daughter. “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,” he said.
He also noted that while he has never met his grandchildren, he relates to King Charles, who has reportedly only seen Archie a handful of times and met Lilibet once.
