Meghan Markle has reportedly been cautioned that a letter she sent to Thomas Markle may not remain private.

Reaching Out After a Medical Emergency

Last year, the Duchess of Sussex contacted her father following his emergency surgery after suffering circulation problems in his lower limbs, RadarOnline.com reports.

Thomas Markle was rushed to hospital on December 3 when his leg reportedly began turning blue and black. Doctors later amputated his left foot and lower leg.

Following the operation, the 81-year-old is now using a walking frame and is hoping to transition to crutches before being fitted with a prosthetic leg in the near future.

Efforts to Keep the Letter Private

Meghan, 44, is said to have learned about her father’s condition and handwritten a letter, which was delivered through the local U.S. consulate in the Philippines, where Thomas is currently recovering. The method was reportedly chosen to prevent the message from being leaked to the media.

Mail on Sunday also reported that a lawyer was present when Thomas received the letter at the hospital and that the exchange was allegedly filmed.

The contents of the letter remain unknown.

Legal Warning Over Control

Despite Meghan’s efforts to maintain privacy, a U.S. lawyer has warned that she may no longer have control over the correspondence now that it has been delivered.

Dean Strang, the attorney who appeared in Netflix’s Making a Murderer, said he was “amazed” that the Sussex camp decided to send the letter at all, given that its privacy now rests with the recipient.

“You know, you sent it to him, what he does with it…” Strang said on the I Rest My Case podcast, adding, “You can’t expect a control.”

He explained that under U.S. law, private correspondence becomes difficult to protect once it has been sent. After delivery, the sender effectively gives up control over what happens to the letter, shifting the balance of power to the recipient.

Meghan’s Statement on the Situation

The Duchess of Sussex, who has been estranged from her father since 2018, released a statement through a spokesperson in December addressing the situation. The statement noted that her attempts to contact Thomas Markle had been “exceedingly difficult,” but confirmed that a letter had been delivered following his surgery.