Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., is reportedly under investigation. This came after his son, Thomas Markle Jr., said he found hundreds of suspected child-abuse images among his father’s belongings in the Philippines. He said he reported the discovery to authorities in Cebu. So far, no charges have been reported against Markle Sr.
According to The Sun, Markle Jr. was looking for a phone when he came across the boxes. They reportedly contained images, videos, family recordings, nine old phones, and computer equipment. He claimed some images showed children as young as 10 or 11. Markle Jr. also said he recognized a room in one photo from his father’s former home in Mexico. This situation touches on serious issues around mass incarceration and the legal system’s handling of such allegations.
The 82-year-old had been living in Cebu since early 2025. He returned to the U.S. in May 2026. Markle Jr. said he reported the discovery to the FBI, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and Pennsylvania state police on July 10. He said no one followed up at first. So, he checked the boxes and hard drives with help from an IT expert.
“When I found this material I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad,” Markle Jr. told The Sun. He added, “I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years — but that stops now.” Markle Jr. continued, “I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him.”
According to People, Philippine investigators are preparing to collect evidence. The country’s anti-trafficking council has also set up a task force run by a specialist in the Women and Children’s Protection Centre. The FBI is reportedly expected to conduct its own investigation, too. The complexities of mass incarceration and family loyalty often clash in high-profile cases like this.
But his sister, Samantha Markle, isn’t buying his story. Speaking to the Daily Mail on October 22, she accused her brother of making up the allegations for money. “There is no merit in these disgusting allegations whatsoever and my brother is disgusting for making them up. He wants to destroy our dad. Shame on him,” Samantha said.
She added, “There is no proof my dad downloaded any images. Those computers were out of his possession for two years. That leaves a lot of room for tampering.” Markle and Markle Sr. stopped speaking before her May 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. Markle Sr. later admitted staging paparazzi photos of himself before the wedding.
He said he wanted to improve his public image. He later apologized to the Sussexes. Markle Sr. was supposed to walk Markle down the aisle but pulled out before the wedding. He had undergone heart surgery and couldn’t attend because of his health. Markle confirmed his absence in a May 17, 2018 statement.
King Charles III, then the Prince of Wales, walked her partway down the aisle. Markle spoke about her fallout with her father during her March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. She said she felt betrayed after he denied speaking to the press before her wedding. “If we were going to use the word betrayal, it’s because when I asked him … he said, ‘No, absolutely not.'”
Markle Sr. later expressed hope that he and Markle could reconcile. Following his emergency leg amputation in December 2025, he told The Mail on Sunday, “I’ve always said I am open to reconciling with my daughter. I have never stopped loving her.”
“I don’t want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too,” he added. Markle’s spokesperson confirmed that she had reached out to her father after learning about his surgery. Her team later confirmed that a handwritten letter had reached him in the hospital.
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