FBI, Philippine authorities probe Meghan Markle's dad over alleged abuse images

LONDON, United Kingdom — Prince Harry's wife Meghan said Friday, October 23 she was "deeply distressed" by accusations her father had possessed images of child abuse allegedly found among his belongings at his former home in the Philippines.

The Sun and Daily Mail newspapers reported the allegations against her estranged father Thomas Markle. He denies all the claims.

A spokesperson for the FBI said it was "aware of the allegations and will provide support, as appropriate, to the Philippine authorities".

"We will also investigate any related allegations of federal violations of US law," its statement added.

Agence France Presse has reached out to the police in the Philippines for a comment, as the Daily Mail said it was Thomas Markle's son, Meghan's half-brother Thomas Markle Jr, who had discovered the images and reported them to local police.

Thomas Markle, who now reportedly lives in a rehab center in Florida, told the Daily Mail the allegations against him were "sick lies".

After the reports, Meghan revealed that in 2018 she had seen a letter sent to London's Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection making similar accusations.

"It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated," she said in a statement.

However, a source close to the matter said the Met Police had not and was not investigating the matter.

A Met Police statement said it was "undertaking enquiries internally in an effort to confirm" what the duchess said about the letter.

Thomas Markle moved from Mexico to Cebu in 2025, settling there with his son Thomas Markle Jr., according to media reports at the time.

Markle reportedly returned to the United States in May 2026 for further medical care and a prosthetic limb.

'Protect'

"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, the Duchess of Sussex, said in the statement.

Meghan and Harry have two children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five.

The duchess said she hoped it could "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".

"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," Meghan added.

Estranged

Harry, the second son of King Charles III and estranged brother of heir to the throne Prince William, married the former American actress at Windsor Castle in May 2018.

Thomas Markle did not attend. The PA news agency reported the letter was seen by his daughter in mid-2018, after the wedding.

He pulled out of Harry and Meghan's wedding due to heart surgery amid a furore after he was found to have received payment for staged paparazzi photographs.

It later emerged that father and daughter remained estranged and that Markle had never met his grandchildren.

In December, however, a spokesperson for Meghan said she had been in touch with her father who was in a Philippines hospital after having a leg amputated.

In 2021, Meghan won a UK High Court privacy and copyright claim against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers over articles that reproduced parts of a "private" letter she wrote to him, asking him to stop talking to the press.

The couple left Britain and quit royal duties in 2020 amid a royal family feud.

They made an unexpected return with their children to live in the United Kingdom in August. — Based on reports from Agence France Presse