Hello! magazine reports that the Duchess of Sussex is “devastated” and being supported by those closest to her. Her father, Thomas Markle Snr, denies the allegations, and no criminal finding has been made.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly taken their two children on a short break overseas as they come to terms with a police investigation involving her father. Thomas Markle Snr is the subject of a probe in the Philippines after his son, Thomas Markle Jnr, claimed to have found child sexual abuse material among belongings left at his father’s former home in Cebu. Mr Markle Snr denies the claims. A friend told Hello!: “She’s just really, really upset. She has young children herself. It’s just devastating.”
The reported break
The friend added: “It’s just been an emotional rollercoaster for her. She’s in bits.” Reports attributed to Hello! and repeated by Page Six say the couple took Archie and Lilibet away for a short family trip while supported by those closest to them. No destination, travel date or official statement has been confirmed. Nor has it been established that the trip was arranged because of the allegations. The Daily Express headline said Meghan had “fled abroad”, which goes beyond the available evidence. A short holiday and a distressing investigation can both be true without one causing the other.
What Philippine authorities have said
Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that a forensic examination of devices linked to the retired lighting director is under way. He promised a “definitive picture” within a week.
On Tuesday, Philippine National Police spokesperson Colonel Allen Rae Co said Mr Markle Jnr had voluntarily handed over four boxes of personal belongings and electronic devices. They reportedly include mobile phones, computer hard drives and dismantled computer parts. The police Women and Children Protection Center has taken custody, and investigators are seeking a warrant to examine the computer data before further forensic work. Authorities have not publicly confirmed the authenticity, ownership or origin of the alleged material. Police possession of devices does not in itself show that their contents are unlawful or that anyone knowingly possessed them.
Colonel Co said investigators must establish what any material is, where it came from, who owned or controlled it, when any possession occurred and whether identifiable victims were involved. He said the inquiry must establish ownership and a timeline instead of assuming responsibility from where devices were found. An initial forensic review could take about a week, but officials warned that examining everything may take much longer, according to The New Daily.
BusinessMirror reports that the Department of Justice confirmed the case is being handled by the regional Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking task force in Cebu. Justice Department spokesperson Polo Martinez confirmed the investigation. Police chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr said officers would coordinate with authorities in Britain and the United States. Philippine reporting says Mr Markle Snr returned to the US in May 2026, reportedly for medical treatment. Investigators are therefore examining devices allegedly left at his former residence, and not material seized from him on arrest. No arrest warrant, extradition request or criminal charge has been confirmed. His daughter Samantha Markle has disputed that the boxes were at their father’s home.
The Metropolitan Police and the 2019 letter
Scotland Yard has confirmed that it received a letter in January 2019 about alleged offending outside Britain. It went to the Protection Command because of possible security implications for Meghan. Police passed the information to the Sussexes’ office but did not share the allegations with other law-enforcement agencies. The Met is reviewing the decision and considering whether to refer its handling to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. It has not said the earlier claims were substantiated, or that they concern the same material now being investigated in the Philippines.
The Independent reported on 26 October that the Met asked Meghan for a copy of the letter after difficulty locating the original, and that she kept her copy and was able to provide it. It has not been confirmed that the original was permanently lost.
Meghan had said she learned of the earlier allegations in 2018. After the Met confirmed the January 2019 date, her spokesperson acknowledged she might have been mistaken about the timing and said the police’s time-stamped records should be treated as authoritative, Sky News reported.
What has not been established
The source also repeats a report that Meghan sent her father a “final, brutal” letter last year, while he was recovering from a leg amputation. It says she told him she knew he was an abuser. I have not repeated the claim in detail. It is unverified, concerns a named man who denies wrongdoing, and no criminal finding against him has been made. Please seek a response from the Sussexes’ representatives.
