The Duchess of Sussex has issued a personal statement expressing her distress over reports that her estranged father, Thomas Markle, is under investigation in the Philippines for allegedly possessing child abuse images. Meghan said she was “deeply distressed” by the news and that her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed.
The allegations were first reported by British tabloids The Sun, the Daily Mail and the Telegraph, which claimed that the images were found among Thomas Markle’s belongings at his former home in the Philippines. Thomas Markle, who now lives in a rehabilitation centre in Florida, has denied the allegations, calling them “sick lies” that left him “shocked” and “hurt”.
Philippine authorities have confirmed they are looking into the matter. Nicholas Ty, the country’s justice undersecretary, told Reuters that the Anti-Trafficking and Anti-OSAEC (online sexual abuse and exploitation of children) task force in Cebu is currently investigating. The case has drawn attention across Europe, where child protection is a priority for many governments and civil society groups.
A long-standing estrangement
Meghan and her father have been estranged since 2018, when Thomas Markle was caught staging paparazzi photos in the run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry. The duchess said she had seen a letter in 2018 sent to London’s Metropolitan Police and its Royalty and Specialist Protection unit containing similar allegations against her father. “It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated,” she said in her statement.
She added that 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.” Meghan and Harry have two children, Archie and Lilibet.
The couple stepped back from royal duties and moved to North America in 2020, citing intense media pressure and tensions within the royal family. They returned to the UK unexpectedly in August 2026 with their children, though the reasons for that visit have not been disclosed.
This is not the first time that allegations of this nature have surfaced. In 2018, the Metropolitan Police confirmed they had received a report but took no further action. The current investigation in the Philippines is separate and ongoing.
Child safety experts across Europe have noted that such cases highlight the need for robust cross-border cooperation in investigating online child sexual abuse material. The Samarkand summit earlier this year called for integrated support for children worldwide, and the UN aid chief has warned that budget cuts could put children at risk.
Thomas Markle’s lawyer has not commented on the latest allegations. The duchess’s statement is her first public comment on the matter, and it underscores the deep rift that remains between her and her father.
For now, the investigation continues in the Philippines, and Meghan has made clear that her priority remains the safety of her children. As she put it, “any distance from my father” was always about protection.
