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Thomas Markle, Meghan’s father, arrested in Florida on charges related to child sexual abuse material

www.theguardian.com · November 6, 2026 · 15:45

Markle, 82, was taken into custody near Tampa, according to news wires from AP and Reuters, citing unnamed sources

Thomas Markle, the father of Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle, has been arrested by US federal agents in Florida on charges related to child sexual abuse material, according to federal law enforcement sources.

Markle, 82, was taken into custody near Tampa, according to news wires from the Associated Press and Reuters, citing unnamed sources. The Duchess of Sussex said last month that she was “deeply distressed” about allegations that a collection of child sexual abuse images was found at her father’s former home.

Meghan also revealed that a letter containing “troubling allegations” about her father was sent to police in London in 2018.

She had issued a statement after the Sun newspaper published claims that her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, alleged he had found a stash of images belonging to their father at his former home in the Philippines. He was named as a person of interest in the case earlier this week.

Markle’s father, a retired television lighting and photography director, did not attend the wedding of Harry and Meghan, amid acrimony and estrangement between father and daughter. Meghan has since said she decided to distance herself from him to protect her children.