Meghan 'deeply distressed' by reports of allegations against her father Thomas Markle

The Duchess of Sussex says she is "deeply distressed" by reports of allegations against her father Thomas Markle.

Meghan issued a statement after The Sun newspaper reported her father is being investigated over claims he kept child sexual abuse images at his home.

Mr Markle has denied possessing the images, calling the accusations "sick lies".

In her statement to Sky News, Meghan said: "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.

"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."

Meghan continued: "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. 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."

The Sun reported that Meghan's brother, Thomas Markle Jnr, alleged that he had found a stash of images belonging to their father at his former home in the Philippines.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since 2018, when he was caught staging paparazzi photos in the run-up to her wedding to Prince Harry.

In December last year, the Duchess contacted her father via letter after he had his left leg amputated and told a newspaper he did not want to die while distanced from his daughter.

Harry and Meghan moved back to the UK in August, six years after they stepped down as working royals and relocated to the US.

(c) Sky News 2026: Meghan 'deeply distressed' by reports of allegations against her father Thomas Markle