Meghan Says Estrangement Protected Her Children

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, says she was informed in 2018 of disturbing allegations involving her estranged father, Thomas Markle, and that the information influenced her decision to prevent him from having contact with her children. In a statement, she expressed distress over recent reports and concern for children who may have been harmed. The reports claim that child sexual abuse material was found at Thomas Markle’s former home in Cebu, the Philippines. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he denied possessing the images and described the accusations as “sick lies.” Meghan said that in 2018 she had seen a letter sent to London’s Metropolitan Police that made similar allegations against her father. She said she was assured the claims were being investigated. She also argued that her distance from her father and her decision to keep her children away were intended to protect them, rather than being the result of media portrayals. The article notes that Meghan married Prince Harry in May 2018, and Thomas Markle did not attend the wedding. Harry and Meghan left Britain and stepped back from royal duties in 2020 amid family tensions; the article says they returned to live in the United Kingdom in August. Meghan expressed hope that justice would be served and that protecting children would remain the priority. Thomas Markle had been living in the Philippines earlier in the year, but returned to the United States after suffering a stroke and having his left leg amputated. His son, Thomas Markle Jr, told The Sun that he found “hundreds, if not thousands” of images at the former home while clearing it out. He said he reported them to Philippine police and contacted the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. The article reports allegations and denials but does not establish whether the claims have been proven.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, said she was “deeply distressed” by reports that her father, Thomas Markle, is being investigated in the Philippines over alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials. In a statement to CBS News, Meghan said she learned of disturbing allegations against her father in 2018, after a letter describing them was sent to the London Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. She said she was assured the allegations were being investigated and that the letter was later shared with her. Meghan said her decision to distance herself from her father and prevent him from contacting her children was intended to protect them, disputing what she described as media distortions about their estrangement. She expressed hope that justice would be served and that the safety of children would remain the priority. According to reports by The Sun and the Daily Mail, Thomas Markle Jr. notified authorities after allegedly finding child abuse materials in storage boxes at his father’s home in Cebu, Philippines. The Mail reported that the younger Markle first saw some material on an old phone while his father was in the United States receiving treatment for a stroke and blood clot. He reportedly contacted an FBI hotline, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and Pennsylvania state police in July. These details have been attributed to media reports and are allegations, not established findings in the article. Thomas Markle denied the allegations to the Daily Mail, saying he had never downloaded such material and calling the claims “sick lies.” Philippine state media reported that the Department of Justice was investigating reports involving an American man in Cebu, and a justice official confirmed that the department’s anti-trafficking task force was investigating Thomas Markle Sr. CBS News said it had sought comment from London police about Meghan’s account.

The article reports allegations by Thomas Markle Jr. that he found a large collection of child sexual abuse material among family keepsakes at his father Thomas Markle Sr.’s home in Cebu, Philippines. According to The Sun, Markle Jr. said the materials were stored in boxes alongside items such as family videos, books, phones and Emmy Awards. He reportedly told a friend that some old books contained disturbing images, and said he found a video and several images on a mobile phone while looking for another device. The article says he reported the alleged discovery in July to an FBI hotline and Pennsylvania state police, where his father was living at the time. Markle Sr., 82, had left the Philippines in May and returned to the United States after a leg amputation in December 2025. The article does not report that the allegations have been proven or describe any charges. Meghan Markle said she was “deeply distressed” and expressed concern for children who may have been harmed. She also disclosed that in 2018 a letter containing troubling allegations about her father had been sent to London’s Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection, and that she had been assured the claims were being investigated. She said keeping her father away from her children was a decision made to protect them, and called for justice and the protection of children. The article notes that she did not say when the letter was sent or who sent it.

Meghan Markle said she was “deeply distressed” by reports that her father, Thomas Markle Sr., is being investigated in the Philippines over alleged child sexual abuse material. In a statement to The Post, she said a letter containing troubling allegations about her father was sent to London’s Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in 2018 and later shared with her. She said she had been assured the allegations were being investigated, and explained that her decision to distance herself from her father and prevent him from contacting her children was intended to protect them. She did not disclose what the letter said or who sent it, or whether it arrived before or after her wedding to Prince Harry that year. The article recounts the events surrounding the wedding: Thomas Markle Sr. withdrew, citing heart problems, after a separate scandal involving staged paparazzi photographs. King Charles, then Prince of Wales, walked Meghan down the aisle. Markle Sr. has denied possessing the material, calling the claims “sick lies,” while Meghan’s half-sister Samantha described the allegations as “unsubstantiated.” The reported discovery is attributed to Meghan’s half-brother Thomas Markle Jr., who told the Sun he found a child pornography clip on a phone while searching for a phone for his girlfriend’s father at their father’s home in Cebu. He alleged that he later found further material among boxes and on hard drives, and said he reported the discovery to the FBI hotline, Pennsylvania state police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The article cites his descriptions of the alleged files and other items, while presenting them as claims reported by the Sun. Markle Jr. said he felt betrayed and disgusted, and that he would not speak to his father again unless called to testify. Meghan said she hoped justice would be served and that children’s safety would remain the priority.

The Duchess of Sussex has said she is “deeply distressed” by allegations that her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr, possessed child sexual abuse images. Her statement followed a report by the Sun citing claims from her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, who allegedly told detectives in the Philippines that he had found hundreds or thousands of images on computers and phones at their father’s former home in Cebu. The allegations have not been established, and Markle Sr has denied them, calling them “sick lies.” Meghan said the Metropolitan police had informed her in 2018 of troubling allegations contained in a letter sent to the police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. She said she was assured the claims were being investigated. She also said that her decision to remain estranged from her father and not allow him contact with her children was made to protect them, and expressed hope that justice would be served and children’s safety prioritized. Philippine officials told the BBC that the matter is under investigation by a taskforce focused on human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. The country’s interior secretary said police had secured Markle Sr’s computer for a digital forensic examination, expected to take about a week. The Sun reported that Markle Jr had also contacted the FBI. Markle Sr told the Daily Mail that the computers had not been in his possession since he left Mexico for the Philippines in 2025. Speaking from a Florida rehabilitation centre, where he is recovering after having his left leg amputated, he said he was shocked and hurt by his son’s accusations and insisted he could not have committed the alleged acts. The article notes that he has been estranged from Meghan since missing her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry, and has never met her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, says she is “deeply distressed” by reports that child sexual abuse images were allegedly found at her estranged father Thomas Markle Sr’s former home in Cebu, Philippines. She said she learned of “disturbing allegations” in 2018, when a letter containing claims against her father was sent to London’s Metropolitan Police and its Royalty and Specialist Protection unit. According to Meghan, she was told the allegations were being investigated. She said her decision to remain distant from her father and to prevent him from having contact with her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was intended to protect them, and expressed hope that justice would be served and children’s safety prioritized. The allegations were first reported by The Sun, citing claims reportedly made by Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, to detectives in the Philippines. He allegedly said he found hundreds or thousands of images on computers and mobile phones stored in boxes at their father’s former home, and reportedly contacted the FBI. Thomas Markle Sr has strongly denied possessing the images, calling the allegations “sick lies.” He told the Daily Mail that he had not possessed the computers since leaving Mexico with his son in January 2025 and moving to the Philippines. The BBC said the Metropolitan Police and Markle had been contacted for comment. The article also recounts the history of Meghan’s estrangement from her father. Their relationship broke down before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. Thomas Markle did not attend, citing health problems, after reports that he had arranged paparazzi photographs for payment. King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, walked Meghan down the aisle at Windsor Castle. Thomas has never met Archie or Lilibet. The article says he moved to the Philippines in 2025 after a series of strokes, later returned to the United States, and was reportedly in Florida rehabilitation after his left leg was amputated following complications from a blood clot in December 2025. It remains unclear when Meghan received the 2018 letter in relation to her wedding.