Published on
Prince Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, said on Friday she was "deeply distressed" by allegations that her father possessed child abuse images, adding that she had previously prevented him from having contact with her children over other "troubling and disturbing" allegations.
"I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed," Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, said in the statement.
The Sun, Daily Mail and Telegraph reported that the images were allegedly found among the belongings of Meghan's estranged father, Thomas Markle, at his former home in the Philippines. He denies the allegations.
Philippine authorities are investigating the allegations, the country's justice undersecretary said on Friday, according to Reuters.
Not the first 'troubling and disturbing allegations'
"Our Anti-Trafficking and Anti-OSAEC (online sexual abuse and exploitation of children) task force in Cebu is currently investigating the matter," Nicholas Ty, Philippine justice undersecretary, told Reuters.
Thomas Markle, who reportedly now lives in a rehabilitation centre in Florida, denied the allegations, telling the Daily Mail they were "sick lies" that had left him "shocked" and "hurt".
Following the reports, Meghan said she had seen a letter in 2018 sent to London's Metropolitan Police and its Royalty and Specialist Protection unit containing similar allegations.
"It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated," she said in a statement.
The duchess, who has two children, added 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".
Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties and left Britain in 2020 amid tensions with the royal family. They unexpectedly returned to the UK with their children in August 2026.