United Kingdom, Dec. 6 -- Thomas Markle has urged his daughter Meghan, Duchess of Sussex to see him "one more time before I die".

The 81-year-old retired TV lighting director had his left leg amputated below the knee at a hospital in the Philippines earlier this week and has called for his daughter to end their estrangement following the "life or death" operation.

A surgeon, speaking with Markle's permission, told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: "We had to remove the foot. There was a massive blood clot in his thigh and that had stopped circulation to his foot and lower leg.

"It was life-or-death surgery. Had the infection in the foot moved to his heart, it would most likely have been fatal. He is doing well but he is not out of the wood...