Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle IBTimes US

LONDON — Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, said Friday she is "deeply distressed" by reports that her father, Thomas Markle Sr., is under investigation in the Philippines over allegations that he possessed child sexual abuse material. She said she first learned of troubling allegations against him in 2018.

Markle Sr., 82, has denied the allegations. He has not been charged.

"I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours," Meghan said in a statement issued to news organizations, including The Associated Press.

The statement was a rare public comment from the duchess about her father, from whom she has been estranged for nearly a decade.

How the allegations surfaced

Britain's The Sun newspaper reported Thursday that Meghan's half brother, Thomas Markle Jr., 60, reported their father to police in the Philippines. The newspaper said he told authorities he found "hundreds, if not thousands" of child sexual abuse images in boxes while clearing out his father's home in Cebu province.

Markle Jr. told The Sun he had broken with his father.

"I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years — but that stops now," he said. "I won't speak to my father ever again unless I'm called to give evidence against him."

He said he also contacted investigators from the FBI.

Philippine authorities investigating

The Philippine News Agency, which is run by the government, reported that the Department of Justice "is investigating reports involving an octogenarian American national who left child abuse videos and photos in his home in Cebu province."

Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty said the department's anti-trafficking task force, which handles online sexual abuse and exploitation of children, "is currently investigating the matter." A justice official confirmed that Markle Sr. is the subject of the inquiry.

The FBI said in a statement that it "is 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 U.S. law," the agency said.

Markle denies the claims

Markle Sr. told Britain's Daily Mail that the accusations were "sick lies" and "the worst thing anyone could accuse me of."

"I'm shocked, I'm hurt and I'm very upset that my son is making these accusations against me," he said. "I could never do what I'm being accused of."

He also told the newspaper, "I have never downloaded anything like that in my life." He said the computers had not been in his possession since he left Rosarito, Mexico, in January 2025.

Markle Sr. moved to the Philippines but returned to the United States earlier this year after suffering a stroke, which led to the amputation of his left leg, according to the AP. The Philippine News Agency said he traveled to the U.S. for medical treatment.

A 2018 letter to police

In her statement, Meghan said allegations against her father first reached authorities years ago.

"In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection," she said, referring to London's police force and its unit that protects members of the royal family.

She said the letter, which was later shared with her, contained "troubling and disturbing allegations" against her father.

"I was given assurances that these were being investigated," she said. She did not describe the nature of the allegations in that letter.

London's Metropolitan Police said it was aware of media reports that officers from its Royalty and Specialist Protection Command were involved in passing on a letter in 2018. The force said it was "undertaking enquiries internally" to confirm this.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

'To protect them'

Meghan used the statement to address her years of estrangement from her father, which has been the subject of intense media coverage and speculation since her 2018 marriage to Prince Harry.

She said that "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." She said that reasoning had been distorted in media reports over the years.

"I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families," she said.

She described the scope of what had been reported as "more sickening than one could ever imagine." She said her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed.

"My sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served," she said, adding that "the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children."

Meghan, 45, and Harry live in California with their two children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.

A long, public rift

Meghan's relationship with her father broke down publicly in the days before her May 2018 wedding at Windsor Castle. Markle Sr. pulled out of attending after it was reported that he had staged paparazzi photos for payment. He later said he had heart problems.

In the years since, he gave numerous interviews to British and American media criticizing his daughter and the royal family. In 2021, Meghan won a lawsuit against the publisher of the Mail on Sunday over its publication of parts of a private letter she had written to her father.

Thomas Markle Jr. and Meghan's half sister, Samantha Markle, have also spoken out against the duchess in interviews over the years. Markle Jr.'s report to authorities is a sharp turn from the family's long public battles, which had largely centered on Meghan.

What happens next

It was not immediately clear what steps Philippine investigators would take, or whether they would seek Markle Sr.'s cooperation while he is in the United States. No charges have been announced in either country.

The Metropolitan Police did not say what, if anything, came of the 2018 letter. Its internal inquiry may draw scrutiny over how British authorities handled allegations involving a relative of a member of the royal family.

The allegations against Markle Sr. remain unproven.