Meghan Markle's Estranged Father, 81, Finds Love Again with Nurse 35 Years His Junior — First Photo

Thomas Markle, 81, has found unexpected love again — and the photos are turning heads. Meet the Filipina nurse who captured the heart of Meghan's estranged dad.

He nearly didn't make it out of last year alive. But Thomas Markle, father of Duchess Meghan, has emerged from the darkest chapter of his life with something nobody saw coming — a new love story.

The 81-year-old retired Hollywood lighting director has gone public with a relationship that has given him a new lease on life. Thomas, who has been estranged from his famous daughter for years, is now smitten with Rio Canedo, a 46-year-old Filipina nurse who cared for him during his recovery in Cebu, in the Philippines.

The pair, who share a 35-year age gap, have been photographed together for the first time — and Thomas says he couldn't be happier.

"I never expected to find joy and happiness again at my age," Thomas told the Mail on Sunday. "I felt neglected and sad for so many years but now I am enjoying life again. After so many tough times I feel truly blessed to have found someone very special who takes such good care of me."

The two first crossed paths in mid-December last year when Thomas arrived at the rehabilitation hospital in Cebu where Rio works. He had just survived life-threatening surgery to amputate his left leg below the knee after a massive blood clot had cut off circulation to his foot.

He spent four days in intensive care, followed by weeks in hospital, before being transferred to the specialist facility where Rio would become not just his caregiver — but the centre of his world.

Remarkably, Rio had no idea who Thomas was when they met. In the Philippines, the drama surrounding Meghan and Prince Harry barely registers. "I didn't know who he was when I met him," Rio said. "Here in the Philippines, Meghan and Harry are not a big deal."

What she saw instead was simply a kind, funny man who won over the entire ward. "All the nurses and staff love him. He's funny," she added warmly.

The internet, predictably, had plenty to say once the story broke.

"Good for him. What a Blessing he has. There is nothing like love at any age," one commenter gushed. But not everyone was so moved. "Dating a woman who is his daughter's age is wild," another remarked bluntly.

One viewer wasted no time spotting a resemblance, musing cheekily, "Could be his daughter...they look alike. 🤷" Another was more pointed in their skepticism, writing flatly, "'Dating' is not what's happening. What a fool."

Others kept it brief. "🙈 Crazy family," one simply declared, while another couldn't help but clock a detail in the first photo, quipping with amusement, "A Filippina nurse w/ a wedding ring?? 😄"

Thomas, for his part, says he expected the backlash and couldn't care less. "The haters will hate but, to be honest, I don't give a damn. Life is for living. There's nothing more important in life than love," he said defiantly.

And the love story, by all accounts, appears genuine. Rio has moved into the comfortable hotel-style room Thomas occupies on the 12th floor of the rehab centre, according to the Mail on Sunday.

She has put him on a strict no-sugar diet, monitors his water intake, and even confiscates chocolate brought in by visitors — rationing it to one small piece a day. Thomas has lost considerable weight as a result.

The journalist who visited them described the pair as openly affectionate, laughing constantly and poking fun at each other. When Rio held his hand, Thomas reportedly beamed. He says she makes him feel safe.

"I finally feel safe and well-cared for," he said. "I've got pneumonia but I'm not feeling sorry for myself because I have Rio taking such good care of me."

Thomas has endured a brutal few years. In 2022, he suffered a major stroke that left him unable to speak for weeks.

He moved to Mexico after Meghan's 2018 wedding to Prince Harry — a ceremony he was unable to attend after suffering two heart attacks on the eve of the big day — and later relocated to the Philippines with his son Tom Jr., 59, partly to escape the relentless media attention and the constant reminders of a daughter he has never been able to reconnect with.

He has never met his son-in-law Harry. He has never met his grandchildren, Archie or Lilibet. The pain of that estrangement is something he still carries.

"I love Meghan. She is my daughter," he said. "But I don't know how much time I have left and I want to spend what time I have being happy."

Which brings us to the detail that will raise eyebrows — and perhaps explain some of those pointed comments online. Rio, the devoted nurse who has turned Thomas's twilight years around, is a divorcee with two children of her own: a 16-year-old son about to finish school and a 22-year-old daughter studying pharmacy.

She is just two years older than Meghan herself.

Thomas acknowledges it. He doesn't shy away from it. And when asked whether he might one day marry Rio, he didn't rule it out. "I would marry Rio if it was beneficial to her," he said simply. "But it's not something we've discussed. For now we are just enjoying life."

Asked whether he'd ever drive to Montecito to see his daughter — Thomas laughed. Then he answered without hesitation, "No, I would never do that. What's the point?"