Meghan Markle has issued a statement expressing her "sincerest hope" that a full investigation into her estranged father's arrest will deliver justice for victims. The Duchess of Sussex is said to be "deeply disturbed" by the allegations against 82-year-old Thomas Markle, who was arrested by FBI agents in Florida on Friday morning.
Thomas Markle has been charged with possession of child sexual abuse material. He appeared in federal court in Tampa, where he was granted bail but placed under strict home detention and electronic tagging. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He denies any wrongdoing.
Meghan's statement on the arrest
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have maintained a distance from the unfolding crisis, but Meghan has now issued a new statement through her representatives. A spokesperson for the Duchess confirmed that while Meghan has had no contact with her father in over six years, the allegations have left her deeply troubled.
A source close to the Duchess told the Sun following this week's arrest: "It is her sincerest hope that a full and thorough investigation will now help deliver justice for the victims."
Background of the fractured relationship
Meghan's relationship with her father became fractured in the run-up to her 2018 royal wedding to Prince Harry. Despite multiple public pleas from Thomas Markle in the intervening years begging for a reconciliation and the chance to meet his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the Sussexes have maintained a strict wall of silence.
Now, with her father facing the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars on charges that have sent shockwaves across the Atlantic, the Duchess has made it clear that she expects the full force of the law to be applied.
