Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, stated on Friday, October 23, 2026, that she was "deeply distressed" by reports that child sexual abuse images were allegedly found at the former Philippine home of her father, Thomas Markle Sr. The Duchess said she was first informed by police of "disturbing allegations" against her father in 2018, shortly after her wedding to Prince Harry. In a public statement, she said the news was "more sickening than one could ever imagine" and that her decision to keep her children away from her father was intended to protect them.
The allegations were first reported on Thursday, October 22, by The Sun, which stated that Thomas Markle Jr. had contacted authorities after finding what he described as "hundreds, if not thousands" of images in boxes at his father's residence in Cebu City. Markle Jr. reportedly submitted a sworn statement to police and informed the FBI. Thomas Markle Sr., 82, who is currently recovering from surgery at a Florida rehabilitation center, denied the claims to the Daily Mail, calling them "sick lies" and "a bunch of lies" with no proof. His other daughter, Samantha Markle, also told the Daily Mail the allegations were without merit.
Government officials in the Philippines confirmed on Friday that an investigation is underway. Nicholas Ty, Undersecretary for the Philippines Department of Justice, stated that an anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation task force is handling the matter. Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla told the BBC that national police have secured Markle Sr.'s computer for a digital forensic examination. Remulla said it would take approximately one week to obtain the forensic results from the data analysis.
The Metropolitan Police in London are reportedly conducting an internal inquiry to confirm if their royal protection unit passed a letter containing these allegations to the Duchess in 2018. While Meghan said she was assured the claims were being investigated at that time, the Metropolitan Police are not currently investigating Markle Sr. Sources close to the Duchess said she did not speak publicly about the 2018 allegations to avoid jeopardizing any potential investigation or facing legal action.
This investigation involves Thomas Markle Sr., an 82-year-old former television lighting director, and directly affects his children, including the Duchess of Sussex and her two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5. The scale of the reported evidence, described by Markle Jr. as potentially numbering in the thousands of images, has prompted a response involving the Philippines Department of Justice and the Philippine National Police.
The Duchess stated that the safety of her children was the reason for preventing contact with their grandfather. The situation also prompted an internal inquiry by the Metropolitan Police regarding how information was shared with the royal family in 2018.
The next steps in the legal process depend on the digital forensic results from the Philippine National Police, which are expected by Friday, October 30, 2026. These results will determine if criminal charges will be filed in the Philippines. While the FBI has been contacted for comment, their involvement has not been confirmed, and no court dates or formal charges have been announced as of October 23. A spokesman for the Sussexes clarified that these legal issues were not a factor in the couple's return to the United Kingdom from the United States in August 2026.