Meghan Says She Was Told of Allegations Against Her Father in 2018 and Calls the News Sickening

Update: Cebu court grants warrant to examine Thomas Markle Sr.'s devices

Updated 15:31 UTC, Oct. 29, 2026. A court in Cebu City in the Philippines has granted police a warrant to examine digital devices seized from the former home of Thomas Markle Sr., The Times and The Sun reported on Thursday. The warrant authorises officers to examine hard drives and other devices taken from the residence where Markle, 82, lived before returning to the United States, Sky News reported via The Times. Police shared video footage with the BBC showing members of the Women and Children Protection Centre sorting through boxes containing old videotapes and dismantled computers.

The Sun reported that the items, itemised in 80 categories on a police inventory list, are being examined by the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit 7 in Cebu, and that Thomas Markle Jr. gave a supplementary affidavit before Cebu City prosecutors consenting to the examination. Philippine National Police spokesman Colonel Allen Rae Co said the digital forensic examination had started. "We have to establish the file and its nature, the origin of the files as well as ownership of these materials," Co said, according to The Sun. "If there will be evidence found of any wrongdoing, we will have to establish possession during the relevant timeline, as well as the identities of the victims if there are any."

The warrant follows the confirmation on Sunday, Oct. 25 by Philippine Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla that the Philippine National Police had inspected Markle Sr.'s former home in Cebu and found alleged child pornography materials and a laptop, which he said was undergoing forensic investigation, with full results expected in about a week, USA Today reported from Agence France-Presse reporting. Remulla said the police would coordinate with counterparts in other countries to locate Markle and take legal action if there is sufficient evidence to charge him.

The allegations against Markle Sr. remain unproven, no charges have been reported, and he has denied them, calling them "sick lies" and suggesting that he had been set up.

Updated 13:53 UTC: London's Metropolitan Police said on Saturday that it received a letter in January 2019 containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom by Thomas Markle Sr., that the letter was passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness, and that the details were not shared with other law enforcement agencies. A Met spokesperson said: "Following a thorough review of Met Police systems and records, we have confirmed that in January 2019, we received a letter containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom." The force said it is reviewing its handling of the matter in 2019 and considering whether a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct is necessary. A spokesperson for the Sussexes said it was understandable that Meghan may have been mistaken by a few months on the date and that the Met record should be treated as the accurate reference point. Meghan said on Friday that she had been told of the allegations in 2018 and had been given assurances that they were being investigated. The allegations against Markle Sr. remain unproven and he has denied them, calling them sick lies in the Daily Mail.

The Duchess of Sussex said on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 that she was made aware of allegations against her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., in 2018, and kept him away from her children to protect them. Her statement followed a Sun report on Thursday, Oct. 22 that police are investigating Markle Sr. over alleged child sexual abuse images, which he denies. The allegations are unproven, and no charges against him have been identified.

"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, 45, said in the statement.

What Meghan said about 2018

"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," she said.

She said she hoped people could now understand why she has had no contact with her father and why she did not allow him contact with her children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5. "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. "I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families."

"Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children," she said.

What has been alleged, and what is not known

According to The Sun, Meghan's half brother, Thomas Markle Jr., 60, alleged that he found child sexual abuse images and videos in storage boxes at his father's former home in Cebu in the Philippines, on a phone and on laptops left behind when Markle Sr. returned to the United States. The Sun reported that Markle Jr. submitted a sworn statement to police in Cebu. "When I found this material I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad," he told the newspaper.

The Sun also reported that the FBI was set to launch its own inquiry, and USA Today said it had sought comment from the FBI and British police. No police force has publicly confirmed charges, and the claims rest on what Markle Jr. says he found, so every part of that account should be treated as an allegation.

The denial

Markle Sr., 82, denied possessing child sex images in an interview with the Daily Mail. "I'm shocked, I'm hurt and I'm very upset that my son is making these accusations against me. I could never do what I'm being accused of. It's the worst thing anyone could accuse me of," he said, according to The Times. He also said he had no idea why his son was trying to destroy him with lies. The Daily Mail reported that he is now at a rehabilitation center in Florida.

Meghan has had no contact with her father since 2018, the year she married Prince Harry on May 19, 2018. Markle Sr. did not attend the wedding, and her statement is the first time she has publicly said that allegations passed to police that year were the reason for the distance.