Meghan Markle's estrangement from father Thomas Markle: From royal wedding fallout to his arrest
Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle Sr., has spent years in the public eye following his highly publicized falling-out with the Duchess of Sussex ahead of her 2018 royal wedding.
Now, the former Hollywood lighting director is facing an entirely separate legal battle after being arrested and charged with possession of child sexual abuse material.
Here's a look at the key moments in the Markle family's public history, from Meghan and her father's estrangement to the criminal investigation that led to Thomas' arrest.
Meghan's relationship with her father deteriorated publicly in May 2018, as she was set to marry Prince Harry. Just days before the royal wedding, he became embroiled in a controversy involving staged paparazzi photographs.
Markle Sr. initially denied staging the paparazzi photographs and later said he had suffered a heart attack and needed medical treatment, preventing him from traveling to England for the ceremony.
In August 2018, Meghan wrote her father a deeply personal letter asking him to stop discussing their relationship with the media. The following year, Britain's Mail on Sunday published portions of the handwritten letter after Markle Sr. shared it with the newspaper. Meghan subsequently sued for misuse of private information and copyright infringement.
Their estrangement continued in the years that followed, with Markle Sr. publicly expressing disappointment over their lack of contact.
In October 2026, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that they had received a letter in January 2019 "containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom."
Police said that while officers shared the letter with Harry and Meghan's office, they did not share the allegations with other law enforcement agencies. On Oct. 29, 206, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that they had referred their handling of the letter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the U.K.'s police watchdog.
Meghan's father pleaded to meet his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, and said he was "very concerned" that he wouldn't live long enough to meet them.
"We’re at a point where, I think both of us, we should grow up, talk, make up for the sake of the children," the former Hollywood lighting director said during an appearance on "Good Morning Britain." "This is ridiculous. Almost four years. It’s crazy."
"My message for the kids is that they have two loving families," he said at the time. "… I think it’s important for them to know that they have two families, and eventually they’re going to grow up, and they’re going to want to know more about them."
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Markle Sr. underwent a "life-or-death" leg amputation in 2025 and spoke to the Daily Mail about wanting to reconcile with Meghan.
"I've always said I am open to reconciling with my daughter," he told the outlet. "I have never stopped loving her. I don't want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids. It might be nice to meet her husband too."
A spokesperson confirmed to People that the Duchess of Sussex had contacted her father.
"I can confirm she has reached out to her father," the spokesperson said. Meghan's representative did not share any further details about her contact with her father.
Thomas Markle Jr. told the Daily Mail his father's leg was amputated Dec. 3 in the Philippines, where the pair had been living since the beginning of 2025. According to Thomas Jr., a blood clot in his father's thigh cut off circulation to his leg, leading to the surgery.
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The Sun reported that Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., found "hundreds, if not thousands" of images depicting child sexual abuse in boxes at his father's former home in Cebu, Philippines, while clearing out the property.
Markle Jr. told the newspaper that he reported the images to police in the Philippines and contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the U.S.
Philippine authorities confirmed they were investigating the allegations against Markle Sr. National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag told The Associated Press that the FBI had requested the agency's assistance in investigating allegations made by Markle Jr. against his father.
Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla separately told the AP that the national police, which he helps oversee, were also investigating Markle Jr.'s allegations, without elaborating.
Markle Sr. denied the allegations against him in a statement to the Daily Mail.
"I’m shocked, I’m hurt, and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me," he was quoted as saying. "I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of."
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Meghan condemned the alleged abuse and explained her decision to cut ties with her father.
"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," she said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital at the time.
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"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 wrote. "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."
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FBI agents searched two storage units registered to Markle Sr. in California, according to the criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital.
Authorities recovered approximately 78 items — including film negatives, slides and books containing suspected child sexual abuse material — from the two storage units rented by Markle Sr. in California. Investigators said Markle Sr. had rented the units since 2008.
A longtime acquaintance identified Markle Sr. as the adult man appearing with a prepubescent girl in two photographs recovered by investigators. Authorities also traced details in some photographs to a hotel in the Philippines.
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Authorities searched a storage unit rented by Markle Sr. in Mexico and recovered another cache of suspected child sexual abuse material, according to a report from The Sun.
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Markle Sr. was arrested in Florida on Friday. Federal prosecutors charged him with one count of possession of child pornography in a criminal complaint filed Nov. 5.
After appearing in federal court, Markle Sr. was released without bond. He was placed on home detention at the memory care facility where he had been arrested. A judge also ordered a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he could understand the proceedings and assist in his defense.
Markle Sr. has denied the allegations against him. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if he is convicted, according to the Justice Department.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.