Thomas Markle Snr, 80, has moved to the island of Cebu, known for its “brutal” weather, which is more than 7,000 miles away from his estranged daughter Meghan and his grandchildren.

The Duchess of Sussex’s estranged father is living in a £500-a-month high-rise flat in the Philippines, where he is being cared for by her half-brother.

Thomas Markle Snr, 80, has moved to the densely populated island of Cebu, more than 7,000 miles away from Meghan, 43, Prince Harry, 40, and his grandkids Archie and Lilibet. Our exclusive pictures show the former Hollywood lighting director sitting alone while resting in blistering heat outside a supermarket near his new home on Wednesday. That was the day after Archie’s sixth birthday, which he missed.

‌

‌

Thomas has had two heart attacks and a stroke in recent years and now must deal with the tropical island’s punishing heat. Temperatures this week reached 33C and humidity levels almost 90%. The regional Emmy award-winner has been seen using a walking stick to help him get around the area’s uneven roads and paths, many of which are affected by constant traffic and the unforgiving climate.

A source said: “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 source went on: “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.”

It is understood Thomas Snr and Meghan’s older half-brother Thomas Jnr, 58 – who was yesterday seen leaving the flat hand-in-hand with a young woman – had previously been staying in a three-star hotel on Cebu before moving in to the flat. Thomas Snr had spent the past decade living in a beachside bungalow in Rosarito, Mexico – which is only around 250 miles from the Sussexes’ home in Montecito, California.

They moved out after boxes of Thomas’s belongings, understood to include some of his most prized possessions, including albums of family photos featuring Meghan, arrived on the island. Despite its humble location, yards from a busy seven-lane main road, the apartment block is considered grand by many folk in the Philippines, where the average wage is just over £7,000 a year.

Cebu has a population of more than three million, and some 900,000 residents exist below the poverty line, according to the latest figures. Life here is a world away from the luxury Thomas’s daughter and son-in-law Harry enjoy at their multi-million pound Californian mansion. Meghan posted a photo of Archie alongside a message wishing her “sweet boy” a happy sixth birthday on Tuesday.

The image, which showed the youngster from behind silhouetted against a bright sunset, was reportedly taken in Mexico. The Instagram post followed a controversial interview Harry gave to the BBC hours after Court of Appeal judges ruled out his challenge over armed protection in the UK. In the programme the prince claimed his father, who has been having cancer treatment for over a year, “won’t speak to me”. He declared he did not know how much longer King Charles had left – adding “life is precious”.

Despite claiming to want to reconcile with his family, Harry also told the BBC the court verdict was “a good old-fashioned establishment stitch- up”, and blamed the Royal Household for influencing the decision to reduce his taxpayer-funded security, which was scaled back after he quit royal duties in 2020.

Referring to his controversial memoir Spare, published more than two years ago, Harry added: “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 added: “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.” Harry has never met his father-in-law Thomas Snr, but did speak to him on the phone before he married Meghan in May 2018 and asked for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

Thomas was due to walk the former Suits actress down the aisle at the Windsor Castle ceremony, but has told how he was forced to pull out on doctors’ orders after two heart attacks led to his being hospitalised and having two stents inserted days before the ceremony.

Instead of being at the wedding – which was seen by an estimated two billion viewers worldwide – he watched it in an Airbnb after being discharged from hospital. That medical drama came after Thomas Snr was embroiled in a row after appearing in staged paparazzi photographs before the ceremony. He has told pals his decision to seek a new life abroad was because he was seeking “peace” and “kinder people”.

Article continues below

Speaking in January, when he revealed he was considering relocating to South East Asia, he said: “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.

“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.”

Speaking about Charles, who walked Meghan down the aisle in his place, he said: “I’m a grandfather and he is King of England – but he too is a grandfather who would like to see his grandkids.”

Neither Thomas nor Charles has a close relationship with their two shared grandchildren. Thomas has never met Archie or Lilibet, while it is believed Charles has only met Archie “a handful” of times. The King is understood to have met Lilibet, who was named after his late mother Queen Elizabeth II, just once since her birth in June 2021.

Thomas Snr added: “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.”

KINDLY CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHATSAPP COMMUNITY FOR FREE, GET THE LATEST ON THE GO HERE