Meghan Markle has reportedly been left emotionally distressed following the arrest of her estranged father, Thomas Markle, with sources claiming the Duchess of Sussex has been struggling behind the scenes.
Speaking on the Daily Express's Royals Unscripted podcast, Royal Editor Emily Ferguson claimed Meghan had been particularly affected by the latest developments, despite putting on a public appearance alongside Prince Harry in Brussels.
Sources describe Meghan as 'broken'
Emily said: "Meghan to me, she did seem very upset, obviously we know she is an actress but I've spoken to sources as well and they've said she's broken. She's very up and down."
However, fellow panellist Carole Malone questioned the suggestion that the Duchess had only recently become distressed by the situation, pointing to previous reports concerning her father's alleged activities.
"Broken? Is she broken? She's known about her dad's activities since 2019, so why is she suddenly just broken about it? The time to be broken about it would have been 2019 when she was handed the letter," Carole said.
Background of the case
Her comments refer to a letter Meghan reportedly received in 2019 from her father's first wife, which is said to have outlined concerns about Thomas Markle's alleged behaviour.
Meghan and Prince Harry were seen in public together in Brussels following the news, where they attended engagements connected to their work on children's rights and online safety.
Thomas Markle, 82, was arrested in Florida on a federal charge relating to the alleged possession of child sexual abuse material. He has previously denied allegations of possessing such material and has yet to enter a plea.
House detention and further arrest
He was subsequently placed under house detention at his assisted living facility and ordered to wear an electronic monitoring tag. He was later taken into custody after allegedly cutting off the device.
Thomas's arrest has brought renewed attention to his estrangement from Meghan, who has had a fractured relationship with her father since 2018. The Duchess previously issued a statement expressing her distress over the allegations.
She said: "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."
