Duchess of Sussex Says She Is 'Deeply Distressed' as Father Faces Investigation in Philippines
Seven Lights
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, released a statement on Friday saying she is “deeply distressed” as her father, Thomas Markle, 82, became the subject of an investigation in the Philippines on suspicion of possessing child sexual abuse material, CBS News reported. The Hill and Fox News carried the statement, issued to CBS News by representatives for the duchess.
The allegations against Thomas Markle were reported to Philippine authorities by his son, Thomas Markle Jr., who said he found material in storage boxes at the family’s Philippine home while his father was in the United States being treated for a stroke and a blood clot, Fox News reported. The Sun, the British tabloid that first reported the story, said the discovery prompted the referral to Philippine police, Fox News said. Thomas Markle denied the allegations, telling Fox News: “I have never in my life downloaded anything like that,” and calling the reports “sick lies.”
The duchess’s statement said she had been aware of similar allegations since 2018 and had reported them to London’s Metropolitan Police, Fox News reported. She wrote to the force’s Royalty and Specialist Protection command that year, the network said. The Metropolitan Police said it is not currently investigating Thomas Markle and that an internal inquiry is examining whether officers were involved in passing on the 2018 letter, Fox News reported.
In the statement carried by CBS News and The Hill, the duchess said she had kept her father away from her children “to protect them” because of the “disturbing allegations” against him, language also used in Fox News’s coverage. She asked that her children be left out of any public discussion of the matter, CBS News said. Thomas Markle has been largely estranged from his daughter since her 2018 marriage to Prince Harry, a rupture covered extensively by both outlets.
The Hill said the case raises questions about the 2018 referral and its handling, while CBS News reported that Philippine police had opened a preliminary investigation and that no charges have been filed. Fox News said Philippine authorities had not confirmed details of the storage-box discovery. The duchess’s representatives declined to comment beyond the statement, CBS News reported.