Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., is facing an investigation in the Philippines after his son accused him of possessing child sexual abuse material on electronic devices allegedly discovered at a former residence.
The allegations have prompted inquiries by Philippine authorities, while the FBI has reportedly been made aware of the claims and is considering its own involvement.
Markle, 82, has categorically denied the accusations, calling them lies fabricated by his son, Thomas Markle Jr.
The controversy intensified Friday, October 23, after the Duchess of Sussex revealed that she had received a troubling letter in 2018 containing allegations about her father.
The Metropolitan Police in London subsequently confirmed that it was making internal inquiries into whether members of its Royalty and Specialist Protection Command had shared that letter with Meghan.
However, the force has not confirmed that it previously investigated Markle over child sexual abuse allegations.
According to the Daily Mail, the Metropolitan Police is not currently investigating him.
The distinction raises questions about what information was available to British authorities eight years ago and whether it has any connection to the allegations now under examination.
Meghan addressed the controversy in a statement Friday, expressing distress over the allegations and explaining why she had maintained distance from her father.
“I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” she said.
The duchess disclosed that a letter containing disturbing allegations against her father had been sent to British authorities in 2018 and subsequently shared with her.
She said she had been given assurances that the allegations were being investigated.
Meghan also suggested that the information influenced her decision to keep her father away from her children.
“I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them,” she said.
The allegations currently under investigation originated with Thomas Markle Jr., 60, who claims he discovered disturbing images and videos involving children on electronic devices stored in boxes at his father’s former home in the Philippines.
He alleged that the material was found on computers and a cellphone among belongings left behind by his father.
Markle Jr. reportedly contacted the FBI, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and local authorities regarding his discovery.
Philippine officials have since confirmed that a specialized unit is investigating allegations involving an American man in his 80s accused of leaving child sexual abuse material in Cebu province.
Justice Department Undersecretary Nicholas Ty said the country’s Anti-Trafficking and Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children task force was examining the matter.
The FBI is also reportedly considering coordinating with Philippine authorities.
Markle Sr., who is recovering at a rehabilitation facility in Florida following a leg amputation, vehemently rejected his son’s claims.
“I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me,” he told the Daily Mail.
“I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of.”
He disputed the suggestion that he possessed or downloaded the alleged material and questioned who might have accessed the devices.
Markle maintained that the computers had been packed away during his relocation from Mexico to the Philippines and were not under his control for an extended period.
“I don’t know who had access to the computers,” he said.
He also expressed willingness to have the devices examined by forensic specialists to determine their history.
His eldest daughter, Samantha Markle, defended their father and accused her brother of fabricating the allegations for financial reasons.
She argued that the electronic devices had been outside her father’s possession long enough for other individuals to potentially access them.
Markle Jr.’s allegations against his father have not been established in court, and the competing claims about the devices remain unresolved.
Meghan and her father have been estranged since 2018, when a controversy involving staged paparazzi photographs preceded her wedding to Prince Harry.
Their strained relationship has remained a subject of public attention for years.
The latest allegations have introduced another dimension to that dispute, although it remains unclear whether the information Meghan says she received in 2018 relates to the material now being investigated in the Philippines.
No criminal conviction or finding of guilt has been reported against Markle Sr. in connection with the allegations.
Investigators must still determine the authenticity, origin and ownership history of any material recovered from the devices, as well as whether a criminal offense can be established.
