Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, is under investigation by authorities in the Philippines for the alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials. These allegations follow claims from the Duchess's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., who reportedly discovered a stash of images while clearing out their father's former home in the Philippines.
The Duchess of Sussex stated she is deeply distressed by the allegations. In a statement, she explained that she had previously blocked contact between her children and her father due to prior allegations.
Meghan revealed that she was made aware of disturbing allegations against Thomas Markle Sr. in 2018 by the Metropolitan Police. She further noted that a 2018 letter sent to royal protection officers informed her decision to keep her children away from him.
The Duchess has been estranged from her father since 2018, when he was caught staging paparazzi photos in the run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry. While some media reports previously depicted her as casting off an elderly father in his declining years, the current allegations suggest that deeper fears were the cause of the estrangement.