Meghan Markle's Father Under Investigation for Alleged Child Sexual Abuse Images

Philippine authorities confirmed on October 23, 2026, that they are investigating allegations that Thomas Markle Sr., 82, father of the Duchess of Sussex, possessed child sexual abuse images. The investigation began after Thomas Markle Jr., the Duchess's half-brother, reported discovering what he described as "hundreds, if not thousands" of explicit images on computers and mobile devices stored in boxes at their father's former home in Cebu, Philippines. Thomas Markle Jr. also contacted the FBI and US authorities after making the discovery while searching for a phone in storage boxes.

Meghan Markle issued a statement on October 23 saying she was "deeply distressed" by the allegations. She revealed that in 2018, shortly after her wedding to Prince Harry, a letter containing "troubling and disturbing allegations" against her father was sent to the Metropolitan Police and shared with her. She stated this prior knowledge informed her decision to prevent her father from having contact with her children, Prince Archie (seven) and Princess Lilibet (five), "for one reason: to protect them." Meghan said she had trusted authorities were investigating the 2018 claims and expressed hope that "justice will be fully served" regarding the current allegations.

Thomas Markle Sr. has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them "sick lies" and "bullshit." Speaking from a rehabilitation centre in Florida where he is recovering after having his left leg amputated due to a blood clot, he told the Daily Mail he was "shocked, hurt and very upset" by his son's accusations and stated he could not have done what he is accused of. He claimed the computers in question had not been in his possession since January 2025, when he left Mexico and moved to the Philippines "for a fresh start," and alleged his son withheld the devices from him.

Philippine authorities, including the Department of Justice and the national police, have begun investigating the matter. The Philippine interior secretary stated that national police had secured Markle Sr.'s computer for digital forensic examination, with results expected within one week. Thomas Markle Jr., 60, a retired television lighting director, said he discovered the material while searching storage boxes for a phone and immediately reported the findings to police, the FBI, the National Centre for Exploited and Missing Children, and Pennsylvania state police.

Markle Sr.'s estrangement from his daughter dates to 2018, when he was caught staging paparazzi photographs weeks before his daughter's wedding. He subsequently pulled out of the wedding, citing health reasons, and has never met his grandchildren. The Duchess received criticism over the years for the rift with her father, but her statement indicates she had been operating with knowledge of serious allegations against him since shortly after her marriage.