Meghan Markle responds to 'deeply distressing' allegations made against father over child abuse images
The Duchess of Sussex has said she was made aware of 'disturbing allegations' about her estranged father, Thomas Markle Snr, back in 2018.
Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jnr, alleged that he had found a stash of images belonging to her dad at his former home in the Philippines, The Sun reported.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Thomas Markle Snr denied possessing child sex abuse images and described the accusations as 'sick lies'.
It is understood that a letter was sent to Scotland Yard in 2018 and this was subsequently shared with Meghan by police as the allegations were being investigated.
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She said the 'breadth' of what has been uncovered is 'more sickening than one could ever imagine' and sincerely hopes that justice will be 'fully served'.
The Duchess of Sussex added that she had chosen not to allow her father to have contact with her and Prince Harry's children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, in order 'to protect them'.
In a statement issued to LADbible, 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.
“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 LADbible Group has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment.
Meghan became estranged from her dad in the run-up to her 2018 royal wedding after he was caught staging paparazzi photos.
He didn't attend the wedding in Windsor, with plenty of media reports at the time about it, with the only member of her family present being her mum, Doria Ragland.
She's the only child of his marriage to Ragland, but he has two others from an earlier marriage, Thomas Jr and Samantha Markle.
Topics: Meghan Markle, Royal Family, UK News, Prince Harry
Jess Battison