The Royal Family should remain "a million miles away" from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle despite suggestions they could face pressure to welcome the couple back, according to royal commentator Carole Malone.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Daily Express podcast Royals Unscripted, Malone said the situation surrounding Meghan's estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., could become "dirtier and nastier" as the controversy unfolds.
Allegations Against Thomas Markle
Thomas has recently faced serious allegations after his son, Thomas Markle Jr., reportedly contacted authorities in the Philippines and accused his father of possessing child sexual abuse material. Thomas Sr. has vehemently denied the allegations, which remain unproven.
According to reports, Thomas Jr. claimed he discovered storage boxes left behind by his father after he moved away from the Philippines. He alleged they contained computers and a mobile phone storing sexually explicit images of children. Thomas Jr. reportedly contacted local police as well as the FBI and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Philippine authorities subsequently launched an investigation, while a laptop was undergoing forensic examination. Jonvic Remulla, the Philippines' Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, said authorities needed to consider "all the angles" and establish the facts before reaching conclusions. Thomas Markle, 82, has now appeared in court in Tampa, Florida, after being charged with possession of child sex abuse images, the United States Department of Justice said.
Commentators Discuss Meghan's Position
The controversy was discussed by Alicia Liberty and Carole Malone on Royals Unscripted, with Liberty questioning the difficult position it could leave Meghan in following years of estrangement from her father. She asked: "Do you think she's in a pretty impossible position here? Because obviously she's been estranged from her father for several years. Do you think she's in an impossible position to comment on this publicly? What are your thoughts around that?"
Malone replied: "I don't think she's in an impossible position, but I think what is more damaging to her than anything else is letting Team Sussex talk for her because I think they do more harm than good. Because they say something and then, of course, the media is on it, and then we look into it, and then we find out that that's full of holes as well or that we don't quite believe it or that it doesn't stand up. So I don't know what she could do in this instance. I always thought it was pretty bad she'd fallen out with her father. Now if all these allegations are true, here is a very good reason why she's fallen out with her father."
Malone then stressed that the allegations against Thomas remain unproven. She said: "And you would have to feel sorry for her if you love your dad and you suddenly find out something hideous about him. We have to keep on saying all these allegations are unproven. And if all this stuff was found in a locker that Thomas Markle hasn't had access to for two and a half, three years. Like I say, there's a lot of holes here. The whole thing stinks to me."
Pressure on the Royal Family
Malone then addressed reports suggesting the controversy could instead put pressure on the Royal Family to welcome Harry and Meghan back. She said: "There was a story the other week saying that the royals would now feel pressure to welcome them back into the fold because of this trauma Meghan's been through. I think it's the opposite of that. I don't think they can welcome them back into the fold because I think this is going to get dirtier and lies are going to be exposed and untruths are going to be exposed. I think the King and the rest of the Royal Family got to stay a million miles away from these two."
Royals Unscripted is the Daily Express's royal show, featuring discussion and analysis of the biggest stories surrounding the Royal Family. The latest episode, titled "King Charles is FUMING - Meghan faces HUGE SCANDAL", can be watched on the Daily Express's YouTube channel.
