On a special episode of Palace Confidential, Diary Editor Richard Eden forensically breaks down the disturbing allegations levelled against Thomas Markle, the estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex.
Last week, it emerged that police in the Philippines were investigating the 82-year-old over allegations he possessed child sexual abuse material.
The material was allegedly found in boxes shipped to Cebu from the home he had shared with his son in Mexico. The retired television lighting director, who Meghan has not had a relationship with since 2018, strenuously denies the accusations.
As reported by The Sun, it was Mr Markle’s only son, Thomas Junior, who tipped police off. The 60-year-old, who had been living with his father in the Philippines, said he discovered indecent photographs and DVDs inside four cardboard boxes while searching for an old phone.
Samantha Markle, 61, Meghan’s half-sister, has since leapt to the defence of her father, who is living in a nursing home in Florida.
She claimed that a photograph at the centre of the investigation, which The Sun alleges shows her father on a bed with a young-looking Asian woman, ‘may be one of his girlfriends’.
Last week, it emerged that police in the Philippines were investigating Thomas Markle over allegations he possessed child sexual abuse material
Samantha Markle, the Duchess of Sussex’s half-sister, (left) has since leapt to the defence of her father, who is living in a nursing home in Florida
Eden said Samantha’s remarks ‘may do little to improve her father’s reputation in the court of public opinion’
Samantha went on: ‘Dad dated a wonderful Japanese woman called Carolyn who I loved. She was in her 30s but she looked like a teenager.
‘Asian women have great skin and are small and petite. They look much younger than they are.’
Eden said the remarks ‘may do little to improve her father’s reputation in the court of public opinion’.
Elsewhere in the episode, Eden spoke of his sympathy for Meghan, particularly in regard to an interview Thomas Senior gave to Fox News in 2021 which recent events have cast in a new light.
After news of the investigation broke, Meghan released a statement revealing she had known of allegations against her father since 2019.
The Duchess was forwarded a letter by the Met which the Daily Mail understands was written by Thomas’s first wife Roslyn Loveless, who died in 2024.
‘To suggest the Duchess is anything but a victim in this would be grotesque,’ Eden began.
‘One can only imagine how disturbing it would be to discover your half-brother is accusing your father of the most appalling of crimes.
‘We can also only sympathise with her for the ordeal she must have suffered when she found out in 2021 that Thomas Senior claimed in a Fox News interview that he intended to petition a California court for ‘the rights to see my grandchildren’.
‘Meghan and Harry were living in California at the time, meaning her claim to have cut off her children from Thomas Senior, in light of the 2019 letter, in order to protect them, might have been in serious jeopardy.’
No charges have been brought, and Philippine police say they are still awaiting a warrant to examine the devices, with the FBI’s Tampa office now assisting.
Watch Eden’s explainer in full by subscribing to Palace Confidential on YouTube.
