Standfirst: Philippine prosecutors and the FBI are involved, but no charges have been reported. Meanwhile, a gap between Meghan’s account and the Metropolitan Police’s has raised questions about how a warning letter was handled.
Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old father of the Duchess of Sussex, is at the centre of a child abuse image allegation made by his own son. He has denied it. The Sun reported on Thursday 22 October 2026 that Thomas Markle Jr, 60, says he found “hundreds, if not thousands” of images at his father’s former home in Cebu, in the Philippines, and reported him to police. No charge has been reported, and none of the claims has been tested in court.
Caption: Thomas Markle Snr, who is being investigated following a report by his son. Credit as given by The Sun: Phil Penman. Licensing status not verified.
What has been alleged
According to The Sun’s report, Markle Jr made a sworn statement to child protection police in the Philippines. He says the material was in storage boxes and on computer hard drives. He also says he reported it on 10 July to the FBI hotline, the US National Center for Exploited and Missing Children and Pennsylvania State Police.
The Sun says the boxes were due to be handed over for forensic examination in Cebu City. It says his father left the property in May after a stroke and a blood clot that led to a leg amputation. News Puddle has not seen the alleged material, and the newspaper’s account has not been independently verified. Some tabloid coverage has gone further and described specific contents. Those details are unconfirmed by any authority, and they are not repeated here.
The authorities have confirmed they are looking at the matter. The Philippines Department of Justice’s child abuse unit told CNN the matter was “under investigation”. The FBI said it was aware of the allegations and would support the Philippine authorities. It added that it would “investigate any related allegations of federal violations of U.S. law”. Markle Sr is a US citizen. Metro quoted Philippine justice undersecretary Nicholas Ty as saying a taskforce in Cebu is investigating.
Markle’s denial and the family dispute
Markle Sr has rejected the claims. He told the Daily Mail: “I could never do what I’m being accused of.” He called the allegations “sick lies” and said he would “welcome an investigation”, according to NBC News. He said the computers had not been in his possession since he left Mexico in 2025. The Mail said it spoke to him at a rehabilitation centre in Florida.
His daughter Samantha Markle told the Mail that her father “had no access to those computers for two years” and that others could have had access. She has accused her brother of making up the claims, and Metro reports she alleged a financial motive. No evidence for that claim was offered in the reports we have seen.
These competing accounts are the central dispute. Who owned or used the devices, and when, is exactly what forensic examination should establish. Until then, the allegations remain allegations.
Meghan’s statement
On Friday 23 October, the Duchess of Sussex said she was “deeply distressed” and that her thoughts were “with any children who may have been harmed”. She said the distance from her father, and her decision to keep him from her children, was “for one reason: to protect them”. In her statement she described the breadth of what had been uncovered as “more sickening than one could ever imagine”. That language goes further than the evidence made public so far, which consists of allegations and a denial.
Watch: Meghan ‘deeply distressed’ by allegation her father had child abuse images
The Met Police letter: dates that do not align
Meghan said a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in 2018, making “troubling and disturbing allegations” against her father. She said she was “given assurances that these were being investigated”. It is not clear what specific allegations the letter contained.
The Met’s account differs. It says it received a letter in January 2019 containing claims about alleged offending outside the UK. It was sent to its Protection Command over concerns about the Duchess’s security. The Met says the letter was passed to the Sussexes’ office “for their awareness” and that its details “were not shared with other law enforcement agencies”. It is reviewing how the matter was handled and considering a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the body that oversees police complaints in England and Wales.
A spokesperson for the Duchess later said she “may have been mistaken by a few months”. Her representatives had earlier told NBC News she learned of the letter in summer 2018. AFP reported a source saying the Met had not investigated and was not investigating. Two questions follow:
- Was any action taken in 2019 beyond passing the letter to the Sussexes’ office?
- Why were the details not shared with other agencies?
Whatever the answers, they concern the handling of a warning that reached a police force with no apparent follow-up. The public interest in understanding that is separate from whether the underlying allegations are true. The Met’s internal review should be published if it leads to a formal referral.
What remains unproven
- No charges, arrest or court proceedings against Markle Sr have been reported.
- The authenticity, ownership and origin of the alleged material has not been established by any authority.
- The Sun’s detailed account comes from Markle Jr and people close to him.
- The Met has not publicly said what the 2019 letter alleged.
What happens next
Philippine investigators are expected to examine the material. The FBI may open its own inquiry. The Met could refer its 2019 handling to the IOPC. Anyone with information about child sexual abuse material can report it to law enforcement, and authorities generally advise against copying or forwarding such material.
Frequently asked questions
Has Thomas Markle been charged?
No charge has been reported. The Philippine justice department says the matter is under investigation.
What does Thomas Markle say?
He denies the allegations and has called them lies. He says he would welcome an investigation.
Is the FBI investigating?
The FBI says it is aware of the allegations and will support the Philippine authorities. It also says it will investigate any related allegations of US federal offences.
What did Meghan say about the letter?
She said a 2018 letter containing allegations about her father was shared with her and that she was assured it was being investigated. Her spokesperson later said she may have been mistaken by a few months.
What does the Met Police say?
It says it received a letter in January 2019 and passed it to the Sussexes’ office. It says the details were not shared with other agencies, and it is reviewing its handling.
Who is Thomas Markle Jr?
He is Meghan’s 60-year-old half-brother and was his father’s carer. The Sun says he moved close to his father in Cebu in January 2025.
Where did the story first appear?
The Sun reported it first on 22 October 2026. The Daily Mail published Markle Sr’s denial.
Sources: The Sun; CNN; NBC News; Metro; Global News; France 24/AFP