The Duke of Sussex made his first appearance in the UK last night since the child abuse allegations around his father-in-law, Thomas Markle, were made public. In his role as the founder of Travalyst, the Duke delivered a keynote speech at the Wanderlust Travel Media Awards in the Old Royal Naval College, London.
Travalyst founder speaks at awards ceremony
The Duke of Sussex founded the not-for-profit organisation Travalyst in 2019 to make tourism more environmentally friendly. Wearing a suit and a red-and-blue striped tie, he told the room: “I started Travalyst because I believe deeply in travel as a force for good.”
Appearance follows Markle Jr. investigation
Harry's appearance came after Thomas Markle's son and the half-brother of Meghan, Thomas Markle Jr., was named as a 'person of interest' in the investigation into alleged child sex abuse. Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed that investigators are looking into Markle Jr.'s possible involvement after they received information that minors were allegedly brought to his residence in Cebu.
However, the DILG chief stressed that Markle Jr. is not yet considered a suspect, and authorities are validating the information. Remulla said that witnesses had come forward to say they saw underage girls being brought to his house, where a ring light could be seen through the window.
“We're determining if son is involved... There are signs that point to the son being involved in the crime as well, but only as a person of interest so far,” Remulla said.
