Meghan Markle is said to be "very distressed" and "appalled at the suffering" that young children may allegedly have endured following the arrest of her estranged father, Thomas Markle Snr, on a charge of keeping child sexual abuse material in storage units in California.
Thomas Snr, 82, appeared in court on the charge, which he denies. Authorities said he was arrested Friday at a care home in Florida. He was released from jail under home detention and electronic monitoring last night.
More than 78 items seized in investigation
More than 78 items, including slides, film negatives, and books which contained suspected child sexual abuse images, were seized as part of the investigation, it is said.
The developments come days before Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are due to attend an event in Brussels, Belgium, about child online safety.
Former BBC correspondent calls for sympathy
Jennie Bond, former BBC Royal correspondent, said today: "She is very distressed but her feelings, I'm told, are very much because she is appalled at the suffering that young children may or may not have been put through, and of the families involved and her thoughts are with them."
The Royal Family has not commented on the allegations around Thomas Snr. Discussing what the developments might mean for them, Ms Bond added: "You would think, wouldn't you, perhaps this might be a moment to lend a sympathetic ear. Many of the women in the Royal Family have got involved in issues concerning women and children, and the dangers of abuse."
"You would think this might be a moment when you'd pick up the phone, write a message, send a letter. I don't know if that has happened but any human is going to have sympathy for a daughter who hears these dreadful, dreadful allegations about their father, estranged or not. Obviously, Meghan hasn't spoken or been with her father for eight years now."
Meghan and Thomas Snr remain estranged, with their relationship having broken down around the time of her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018.
Harry's Remembrance weekend message
Speaking to Sky News, the commentator said the latest developments have — and are likely to for some time — dominated the headlines, overshadowing any work Meghan and Harry are doing. The Mirror, though, covered Prince Harry's Remembrance weekend message, during which he told military families who have lost a loved one they are "not alone" and that navigating grief "doesn't leave you".
Harry, who completed two tours of duty of Afghanistan, is understood to be marking Remembrance Sunday — the first since he has returned to live in the UK — privately this year.
He said: "Navigating the grief of losing a loved one doesn’t leave you, no matter how old you are. Know that you are not alone, as this is one of the most universal experiences of being human."
