Serious allegations involving child sexual abuse material are being investigated by authorities in the Philippines, with Meghan Markle’s estranged father, 82-year-old Thomas Markle, at the centre of the inquiry. The Duchess of Sussex has also revealed that she was made aware of disturbing allegations against her father as early as 2018, shedding new light on her decision to prevent him from having contact with her children.

The case has taken a dramatic turn following a report by British newspaper The Sun, which claims that a collection of hundreds of photographs and other files handed to police includes an old photographic negative allegedly depicting a man resembling Thomas Markle sexually abusing a girl who appears to be underage.

Neither the man’s identity nor the girl’s age has been independently established, and authorities have not publicly released any forensic findings confirming the authenticity or contents of the photograph.

Meanwhile, London’s Metropolitan Police is conducting internal inquiries into a letter allegedly received in 2018 containing serious accusations against Meghan’s father. The Duchess says the letter was shared with her and that she was assured the allegations were being investigated, influencing her decision to keep her distance from him.

Thomas Markle has categorically denied the accusations, describing them as “sick lies”. Philippine authorities have confirmed that an investigation is under way, while the FBI has said it is aware of the allegations.

Meghan Markle is speaking out amid allegations that her father, Thomas Markle, is being investigated by authorities in the Philippines for allegedly possessing child sex abuse material. She’s been estranged from her father since 2018. Ian Pannell reports. https://t.co/drZePJ1y1s https://t.co/vy43WKFrQT

— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) October 24, 2026

The disturbing photograph allegedly found among Thomas Markle’s belongings

According to The Sun, the material was discovered among belongings left at Thomas Markle’s former residence in Cebu, in the Philippines.

Among the items described by the newspaper is a 35mm photographic negative allegedly showing a bearded man lying on a bed with a young girl of Asian appearance.

The man reportedly resembles Thomas Markle at a younger age, possibly when he was in his 40s or 50s.

A second photograph is said to show the same man, with part of his face or body obscured by the girl’s hand.

The photographs form part of the allegations now being examined and do not constitute established evidence of wrongdoing by the 82-year-old. It has not been publicly determined when they were taken, who appears in them or whether they are connected to any criminal offence.

The Sun reports that police forensic specialists are expected to examine the material as part of the investigation, a process that could take weeks or months.

Four boxes of material handed to police by his son

The allegations were brought to the authorities by Meghan’s 60-year-old half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, who claims he discovered the suspicious material among their father’s possessions.

He said he found four large boxes containing electronic devices, photographs, videos, DVDs, old photographic negatives and books.

According to his account, computers and mobile phones contained “hundreds, if not thousands” of images which he believed could depict the sexual exploitation of children.

Thomas Jr also alleged that he encountered particularly disturbing material apparently involving children under the age of 12.

He said he was shocked by the discovery and decided to alert the authorities, initially contacting the FBI and the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

He subsequently handed the material to police in Cebu in the presence of journalists from The Sun. According to the newspaper, the formal handover took more than nine hours.

Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed to Reuters that Markle’s son had submitted evidence to authorities, including a laptop.

Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty also confirmed that the specialist task force dealing with human trafficking and online sexual abuse and exploitation of children in Cebu was investigating the case.

The investigation is being conducted into allegations that have yet to be substantiated by publicly available forensic evidence.

The 2018 letter and unanswered questions for Scotland Yard

The investigation in the Philippines has also brought renewed attention to a separate matter dating back to 2018, according to Meghan Markle.

In a statement issued on Friday, 23 October, the Duchess revealed that a letter had been sent that year to London’s Metropolitan Police and its Royalty and Specialist Protection unit.

She said the correspondence contained deeply troubling allegations against her father and was subsequently shared with her.

Meghan maintains that she was assured the claims were being investigated.

Scotland Yard, however, has announced that it is conducting internal inquiries to establish whether officers from its royal protection command were involved in passing the letter to the Duchess.

According to Sky News, the Metropolitan Police had not previously conducted, and is not currently conducting, a criminal investigation into Thomas Markle.

The developments raise questions about who wrote the letter, how it reached the British authorities and who assured Meghan that its contents were being investigated.

The Sussexes have reportedly retained a copy of the correspondence and are prepared to provide it to police if required.

According to The Sun, the letter alleged that Thomas Markle had sexually abused a child and contained claims that he had spoken about travelling to Thailand and the Philippines to abuse minors.

Those allegations remain unverified.

The Metropolitan Police’s current internal inquiries concern the handling of the letter, rather than a criminal investigation into Thomas Markle himself.

Meghan Markle: ‘I kept my father away from my children to protect them’

The 45-year-old Duchess of Sussex has publicly addressed the allegations, explaining that her longstanding estrangement from her father was not solely the result of the family dispute that emerged shortly before her wedding to Prince Harry.

In her statement, Meghan said she was “deeply distressed” by the developments and that her thoughts were with any children who might have been harmed.

She explained that she had been shown the 2018 letter containing allegations against her father and had received assurances that the claims were being examined.

The Duchess also sought to address years of public speculation surrounding her relationship with Thomas Markle.

She said she hoped people would now understand that her decision to distance herself from her father and prevent him from seeing her children had been motivated by a desire to protect them.

Meghan added that she had trusted the authorities to safeguard other families as well.

Concluding her statement, she expressed hope that justice would be served and that the protection of innocent children would remain the overriding priority.

Meghan and Prince Harry have two children, seven-year-old Prince Archie and five-year-old Princess Lilibet, neither of whom has met their maternal grandfather.

The Duchess’s comments represent her account of why the family relationship broke down and do not establish the truth of the allegations against her father.

Thomas Markle denies everything: ‘Sick lies. I could never do something like that’

Thomas Markle, 82, has vehemently rejected the accusations, telling the Daily Mail that his son is spreading false claims about him.

“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. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of.”

Markle described the allegations as fabricated and “sick lies”.

He also challenged the credibility of his son’s account, claiming that the computers referred to had not been in his possession since January 2025, when he left Rosarito, Mexico, and relocated to the Philippines.

Asked whether he had downloaded pornographic material onto his computers, he repeatedly denied doing so.

Markle is now reportedly living in a nursing and rehabilitation facility in Florida after suffering serious health problems.

He experienced a stroke and required the amputation of his left leg following complications associated with a blood clot.

His medical difficulties prompted his return to the United States after a period living in Cebu.

FBI also monitoring the investigation

The allegations have attracted the attention of US federal authorities.

The FBI has confirmed that it is aware of the accusations and is prepared to support Philippine investigators where appropriate.

The agency has also indicated that it will examine any related allegations involving potential breaches of US federal law.

The FBI’s involvement is potentially significant because Thomas Markle is an American citizen currently residing in the United States, while the material at the centre of the allegations was reportedly discovered in the Philippines.

Investigators are expected to focus on establishing the origins and authenticity of the files, identifying those depicted and determining whether any criminal offences have been committed.

There has been no public announcement of criminal charges against the 82-year-old.

The family rift that began before the royal wedding

Meghan Markle’s relationship with her father has been a recurring subject of international media attention since the period leading up to her marriage to Prince Harry in May 2018.

Shortly before the wedding, it emerged that Thomas Markle had collaborated with paparazzi photographers to stage a series of pictures, triggering widespread controversy.

Days before the ceremony, he announced that he was experiencing serious heart problems and ultimately did not travel to Britain to accompany his daughter down the aisle.

Instead, Meghan was accompanied for part of the ceremony at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, by her father-in-law, the future King Charles III.

Thomas Markle’s absence from the wedding marked the beginning of what appeared to be a permanent estrangement.

In subsequent years, he gave several interviews discussing the breakdown of their relationship and repeatedly expressed a desire for reconciliation.

Meghan, however, did not resume contact with him, and neither Prince Harry nor the couple’s children established a personal relationship with the 82-year-old.

There was a limited development in December 2025, when the Duchess reportedly contacted her father by letter following his leg amputation, although the two remained estranged.

Her latest public statement now offers a different explanation for the longstanding family rift. Meghan maintains that her decision was primarily driven by concerns for the safety of her children, rather than simply the dispute that surrounded her wedding.

The investigation in the Philippines remains ongoing, with authorities tasked with examining the material submitted to them and determining whether it provides evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

The serious accusations against Thomas Markle do not establish his guilt, and he continues to deny any involvement in illegal activity.