Chula Vista, California - The father of the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has been admitted to hospital after suffering a stroke.

Thomas Markle (77) had been planning to fly to the UK in June for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, with hopes to meet members of the royal family and his grandchildren – Archie and Lilibet – for the first time.

But on Tuesday morning, he was rushed to hospital after having a stroke.

Karl Larsen, who has a YouTube channel with Thomas Markle, confirmed the news to the PA news agency.

Larsen added that the retired director of photography had been looking forward to traveling to the UK for the jubilee.

Thomas Markle did not attend Harry and Meghan's wedding in 2018 as he was recovering from heart surgery.

The news, first reported in MailOnline by Dan Wootton, comes after Markle spoke last month of his desire to travel to the UK for the jubilee.

Speaking to GB News from his home in Rosarito, Mexico, he said: "I'm looking forward to it."

"I'm going to show my respect for the Queen and I'm going to make sure that the Queen understands that my entire family respects the Queen and the royals."

"We admire them and we want them to know that's how we feel about them and that's how we feel about England."

He added that he felt he had a right to meet his grandchildren.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since he was caught staging paparazzi photographs ahead of her wedding.

He has previously said he hoped to face the duke and duchess in court as part of a defamation case being brought by the duchess's half-sister.