Meghan Markle says she is deeply distressed by Thomas Markle probe By Luís Henrique Costa
4 min read
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The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, issued an official statement at 7:04 a.m. Brasília time on Friday, 23 October 2026, saying she was deeply distressed by reports that her father is under investigation in the Philippines. The probe concerns Thomas Wayne Markle, an 82-year-old retired television lighting director, over suspected child sexual abuse material found at his former home. The Philippine Department of Justice confirmed the same day that it had opened a formal investigation against him.
Meghan made the statement from London, in the United Kingdom. In it, she described the allegations against her father as among the most repugnant she could imagine, and said her sincerest hope is that justice is fully served. She added that the priority must remain the safety and protection of innocent children.
Son’s report leads to anti-trafficking probe in Cebu
The case came to public attention on Thursday (22), when Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan’s half-brother and the son of the retired lighting director, said he had found the material among belongings his father left at the Cebu property. The Philippine National Police said officers inspected the residence and took the items into custody after Thomas Markle Jr. handed them over voluntarily. The Women and Children Protection Center in the Visayas is leading the work, with support from regional anti-cybercrime and anti-trafficking units.
Thomas Markle has denied owning any child sexual abuse images. He has called the accusations against him “sick lies” in comments to the press, and he reportedly said he welcomed a forensic examination of the devices. Authorities have not announced any criminal charges against him.
On Monday (26), the Department of Justice said the Regional Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking task force in Cebu is handling the investigation, but it did not give further details. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the laptop is undergoing forensic examination, with full results expected within about a week. Police are still waiting for a warrant to examine four boxes of devices, and the review of their contents depends on that authorization.
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Meghan says London police received a letter about her father
In her statement, Meghan said a letter containing allegations against her father was sent in 2018 to the Metropolitan Police and to Royalty and Specialist Protection, a unit that escorts members of the royal family and government officials. She said the letter was later shared with her and that she was assured the claims were being investigated. The Duchess described the allegations as “troubling and disturbing.”
The Metropolitan Police, the London force, said the letter was sent in January 2019, a date that differs from the 2018 date in Meghan’s statement. The force said it passed the letter to the office of Prince Harry and Meghan for their awareness, and that the allegations were not shared with other law enforcement agencies. It is understood that the Met has not been investigating Thomas Markle and is reviewing how it handled the letter.
Meghan says she kept her father away from her children
Meghan and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, have had no contact with Thomas Markle since their wedding in 2018. In the statement, the Duchess linked the distance of the past eight years to the information she received from police in that period.
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She said the decision to end contact aimed only to protect her two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. She added that she had trusted authorities to do the same for other families, and she hopes the distance and the decision to keep him away from the children are now understood as acts “to protect them.”
Neither British nor Philippine authorities have publicly confirmed the technical details of the two investigations. Officials have not said whether the 2018 inquiry was concluded, whether the Cebu files went through official forensic examination, or whether they have been formally attributed to Thomas Markle. The FBI said it is aware of the allegations and will support Philippine authorities, and it will also investigate any related violations of US federal law. Authorities are still verifying whether Markle has returned to the United States, and no charges have been filed against him.
