Meghan says she was informed about ‘disturbing allegations’ against her father in 2018
Meghan addresses allegations involving her estranged father
Ninoda.com – The Duchess of Sussex has said she learned in 2018 of what she described as “disturbing allegations” concerning her father, Thomas Markle. Her statement follows claims that images of child sexual abuse allegedly connected to him were discovered at his former residence in the Philippines.
Thomas Markle, who has been based in the United States, has denied possessing any such material. Philippine authorities are investigating the matter, and no conclusion has been announced.
“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 said she had received a letter in 2018 setting out allegations involving her father. The letter had been sent to the Metropolitan Police and was later shared with her. She said she was told at the time that the concerns were under investigation.
Her comments offer further context for the long-running distance between Meghan and her father, as well as his lack of contact with Prince Harry and the couple’s children. She said her decision to keep him away from her family had been motivated by protection.
“I hoped it could be understood why I had kept my distance from my father and did not allow him to have contact with our children.”
She added that she had trusted authorities to protect other families while inquiries continued. Describing the allegations as profoundly disturbing, the duchess said she hoped justice would be delivered and that the safety of children would remain the central priority.
Philippine investigation under way
The allegations emerged after Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, said he found suspected child abuse images at Thomas Markle’s former home in the Philippines and alerted police.
Nicholas Ty, Undersecretary for the Philippines Department of Justice, said the case is being examined by a task force in Cebu that focuses on human trafficking and child sexual exploitation.
Philippines Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla said national police had taken possession of Thomas Markle Snr’s computer for a full digital forensic review. Investigators are examining the data to establish the scale and nature of any potential criminal activity. Remulla said forensic findings were expected to take about one week.
Digital forensic work can involve recovering files, identifying when material was created or accessed, and determining whether data may have been shared or deleted. At this stage, the authorities’ examination remains an investigation rather than a finding of guilt.
Meghan’s statement focused on the wellbeing of potential victims. She said the allegations were “more sickening than one could ever imagine” and called for the protection of innocent children to come first.
“My sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.”
A fractured relationship dating back to 2018
The disclosure places renewed attention on Meghan’s difficult relationship with her father, which deteriorated in the period before her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.
Thomas Markle, a former television lighting director, became involved in a controversy after staged photographs showed him preparing for the royal wedding. He had accepted payment for the photographs, creating a public dispute that intensified the strain between father and daughter.
He later withdrew from the wedding, citing health problems. Meghan was escorted down the aisle by King Charles III, who was then Prince of Wales.
Meghan is the only child from Thomas Markle’s marriage to Doria Ragland. He also has two children from an earlier marriage: Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr.
The duchess said she first became aware of the allegations after her 2018 wedding. Her statement may help explain why relations appeared to remain so distant in the years that followed, although Thomas Markle has continued to deny wrongdoing.
Questions surrounding later family decisions
The allegations also raise questions about the Sussexes’ family circumstances and their return to the United Kingdom in late summer. Their representative has not answered questions about whether concerns involving Meghan’s father played any role in their decision to leave the United States, where he had been living.
Thomas Markle moved to the Philippines in 2025 following a series of strokes. He is now said to be in a Florida rehabilitation centre, where he is learning to walk again after a leg was amputated during surgery in December 2025.
For Meghan, the current investigation has brought an intensely personal family estrangement into a far more serious public context. Her statement makes clear that she sees the allegations primarily through the lens of child safety, while investigators work to determine the facts.
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