Meghan Markle Has Revealed That She Was Informed Of “Disturbing Allegations” Against Her Estranged Dad, Thomas Markle, In 2018 Amid Reports He Is Being Investigated Over Child Sex Abuse Images

Posted on Oct 23, 2026 UTC

This article mentions allegations of posession of child sex abuse images. 

On Thursday, reports broke that Meghan Markle’s estranged dad, Thomas Markle Sr., was under investigation after his son, Thomas Jr., allegedly found boxes of child sex abuse images at their home in the Philippines. Thomas Sr. has denied the allegations, branding them “sick lies.”

Per British tabloid the Sun, Thomas Jr. told police that he discovered “hundreds, if not thousands” of disturbing images in four large boxes, mixed in with other family mementos. In addition to local law enforcement, he reportedly contacted FBI investigators in the US, who are apparently set to launch their own investigation. You can read more about the allegations here.

The Duchess of Sussex has faced criticism for her estrangement from her dad for several years; Thomas Sr. has never met Meghan's husband, Prince Harry, nor their two children, 7-year-old Prince Archie, and 5-year-old Princess Lilibet.

King Charles famously walked Meghan down the aisle at her and Harry’s 2018 wedding as Thomas did not attend:

In the years since, Thomas has been supported by his son and his other daughter, Samantha Markle, as he has begged to reunite with Meghan, who was vilified by the press for refusing to accommodate this.

Earlier today, Meghan issued a statement to Sky News in response to the recent reports surrounding her dad, in which she revealed that she was first informed of “disturbing allegations” against him in 2018.

"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,” Meghan’s statement began. "In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated.”

"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. I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families,” it went on. "Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children."

We will keep you updated on any further developments.

If you are concerned that a child is experiencing or may be in danger of abuse, you can call or text the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453(4.A.CHILD); service can be provided in over 140 languages.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.

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