Meghan "deeply distressed" as dad faces child abuse material probe

By Emmet Lyons is a news reporter at the CBS News London bureau, reporting and producing stories for all CBS News platforms. Prior to joining CBS News, Emmet worked as a producer at CNN for four years. Read Full Bio Updated on: October 23, 2026 / 6:51 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google London — Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, said in a statement sent to CBS News Friday that she was "deeply distressed" by reports that her father, Thomas Markle, is under investigation by authorities in the Philippines for alleged possession of child abuse materials. Meghan, who recently moved back to Britain with her husband Prince Harry and their children, said she had been aware of allegations against her father since 2018, and that those allegations were shared with U.K. authorities at the time. "In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated," her Friday statement said. CBS News has sought comment from the London Metropolitan Police regarding Meghan's statement.Meghan said she had distanced herself from her father in an effort to protect her children. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, arrive at a youth and community charity during a visit to Nottingham, England, Oct. 15, 2026. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty "I hope it can 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," she said. The British tabloid The Sun reported Thursday that Thomas Markle, who has been estranged from his daughter for years, had been reported to authorities in the Philippines by his son, Thomas Markle Jr., after the younger man allegedly discovered child abuse materials in storage boxes at his father's home in the Philippines. The Daily Mail reported Friday that Markle had denied the allegations against him. "I have never downloaded anything like that in my life," he was quoted as telling the newspaper. Thomas Markle, father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is seen in a photo taken from video as he gives an interview to ITV's Good Morning Britain program, in a June 18, 2018, file photo. REUTERS Philippines state media reported Friday, in a post shared on Facebook, that an investigation was underway. "The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday said it is investigating reports involving an octogenarian American national who left child abuse videos and photos in his home in Cebu province," the state-run Philippine News Agency said. A Filipino justice official said the department's anti-trafficking task force was investigating the matter and it confirmed that Thomas Markle Sr. was the subject of the investigation, according to the PNA report. Meghan said in her statement that her "sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children." In: British Royal Family Prince Harry Duke of Sussex Pornography Sexual Abuse Thomas Markle Meghan Duchess of Sussex Philippines Child Abuse Prince Harry and Meghan will not be working royals, King Charles says 01:56 Prince Harry and Meghan will not be working royals, King Charles says (01:56)