Meghan Markle’s estranged father is facing a deepening international police investigation after authorities in the Philippines revealed that they discovered suspected child sexual abuse material among electronic devices allegedly linked to him.
The disturbing development came Tuesday, November 3, when Philippine police disclosed that an initial forensic examination had uncovered images and videos involving children, prompting investigators to examine whether 82-year-old Thomas Markle Sr. could be connected to the material.
Authorities also confirmed that the FBI and other U.S. law enforcement officials are involved in the investigation, adding another layer to a controversy that has already shaken Meghan’s estranged family.
Police Major General Wilson Asueta, a senior Philippine National Police official, said investigators had identified files depicting children of Asian and Caucasian appearance. Authorities indicated that the children did not appear to be Filipino, although their identities and the origins of the recordings have not been established.
Investigators have not determined whether Markle appears in any of the material or whether the electronic devices actually belonged to him.
Nevertheless, Asueta suggested that police were making progress.
“The investigation is going in the right direction,” he said, adding that charges would be pursued if investigators gathered sufficient evidence.
The case erupted after Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jr., claimed he discovered suspicious material among his father’s belongings at a former residence in Cebu City, Philippines.
The younger Markle reportedly turned over several electronic devices and storage materials to authorities, including cellphones, hard drives and videotapes. Investigators obtained a court warrant on October 29 to examine the digital evidence.
Police are now working to establish the material’s origins, determine who owned the devices and identify anyone who may have been involved in producing or possessing the recordings.
The FBI has also acknowledged the allegations, saying it would assist Philippine authorities when appropriate and investigate any potential violations of U.S. federal law.
Markle Sr., however, has vehemently denied wrongdoing, dismissing the accusations as “sick lies.”
His daughter Samantha Markle has also defended him, accusing her brother of making the allegations because of a bitter family dispute involving financial support. Those claims have not been independently established.
The investigation has also drawn renewed scrutiny to allegations reportedly made years earlier by Markle’s former wife, Roslyn Loveless, who died in 2024.
According to media reports, Loveless accused her former husband of inappropriate conduct involving underage girls during overseas travel. Those allegations remain unsubstantiated.
The controversy has now expanded to Britain’s Metropolitan Police, which acknowledged receiving a letter in January 2019 containing allegations of serious misconduct outside the United Kingdom.
Although the correspondence was shared with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s office, police confirmed that its contents were not forwarded to other law enforcement agencies at the time.
The revelation prompted an independent investigation by Britain’s police watchdog into how the Metropolitan Police handled the information. British authorities have also begun referring the allegations to relevant overseas agencies.
For Meghan, the allegations have reopened questions about the painful breakdown of her relationship with her father, who has remained estranged from the duchess since her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.
In an emotional statement released October 23, Meghan revealed that she had been informed about disturbing accusations against her father years before the latest investigation became public.
“It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father, and I was given assurances that these were being investigated,” she said.
Meghan also addressed her longstanding decision to keep her father away from her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
“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 explained.
The duchess said she was deeply distressed by the reports and expressed concern for any children who may have been harmed.
Meanwhile, Markle Sr., a retired Hollywood lighting director, has reportedly returned to the United States and is living in a Florida care facility following serious medical problems.
Despite the growing international investigation, Philippine police emphasized that no formal criminal complaint had been filed against him as of November 3.
Authorities have also not established that Markle Sr. owned the material under examination or personally participated in any criminal conduct.
For now, investigators in multiple countries are continuing to examine the evidence as questions mount over what was discovered, who was responsible and whether allegations raised years ago could have been investigated sooner.
What's Up Today Editorial Team