Report: Thomas Markle Plans Marriage to Nurse
Meghan Markle could gain a new stepmother close to her own age after reports claimed her estranged father, Mr Thomas Markle, is considering marriage to a woman he met while recovering from major surgery in the Philippines. The development, first reported in the UK press, centres on Mr Markle’s relationship with Filipino nurse Ms Rio Caneda.
Daily Star reported that Mr Markle, 81, has told friends he wants to marry Ms Caneda, 46, after meeting her at a rehabilitation hospital in Cebu City following an emergency operation last December in which his left leg was amputated below the knee.
The report said an unnamed source claimed Mr Markle had told family members he is “happier than he could ever have imagined” at the prospect of spending the rest of his life with Ms Caneda. It added that he previously described himself as “blessed and beyond happy” to have found companionship again after years of serious health problems and an ongoing estrangement from Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, which dates back to the weeks before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.
Mr Markle relocated to Cebu with his son Mr Tom Markle Jr last year, according to the report, and has since returned to the United States to receive a prosthetic limb and spend time with his other daughter, Ms Samantha Markle. The renewed attention on family relationships follows recent coverage in which Ingrid Seward said Meghan Markle sent a family message amid continuing public interest in the Sussexes’ ties to relatives.
The report said Mr Markle has not specified whether any potential wedding would take place in the United States or the Philippines. It also stated he has not met Prince Harry or his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and quoted him as saying he does not understand why Meghan “ghosted” him.
