Meghan Markle's estranged half-brother has publicly pleaded for her forgiveness, acknowledging that he spent nine years "protecting the wrong person" by siding with their father, Thomas Markle Snr. The Duchess of Sussex has maintained no relationship with her two elder half-siblings, Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr., who are from her father's first marriage to Roslyn Loveless.
Both siblings have frequently spoken to the media over recent years, often criticising and mocking Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, following their decision to distance themselves from their family.
However, Thomas Jnr has made a dramatic change of heart, publicly expressing his profound regret and stating he is "so, so sorry." This shift in stance comes in the wake of grave allegations that Thomas Markle Snr was found to be keeping child sexual abuse images at his home. Thomas Snr has, however, denied possessing these images.
Thomas Jnr, 60, who had been residing in the Philippines and caring for his ailing father for four years, claims he discovered a cache of these images. He subsequently handed four boxes of material over to the police in Cebu City.
A Public Apology and Revelation
In an attempt to reach the former Suits actress, the window fitter spoke to The Sun on Sunday, declaring, "I now know I have been protecting the wrong person for the past nine years."
He added, "Having seen what I have seen, I believe the man I’ve been defending and caring for is a monster."
Thomas Jnr further conveyed his understanding of Meghan’s prolonged estrangement: "I now know exactly why you don’t talk to him anymore and why you won’t let him meet Harry or his grandchildren. And I’m ashamed that I spent years taking his side when you fell out with him."
Despite acknowledging their lack of closeness, he reminisced, "I can still remember holding Meghan as a baby and looking after [her] when she was small." He concluded his appeal by saying, "So please accept my apology and know that I wish you and your family all the best for the future."
Meghan's Statement and Investigation Details
Meghan's strained relationship with her 82-year-old father gained significant public attention leading up to her May 2018 wedding, after which she ceased contact with him. Her mother, Doria Ragland, was the sole family member present at the ceremony held at Windsor Castle, where King Charles (then Prince of Wales) escorted Meghan down the aisle.
Following this week's disturbing revelations, Meghan issued her own statement, explaining that her decision to sever contact was solely to "protect" her children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, neither of whom Thomas Snr has ever met.
On Friday, she stated, "I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children was for one reason: to protect them."
Meghan expressed her profound distress over the allegations against her father, extending her thoughts to "any children who may have been harmed." Describing the accusations as "more sickening than one could ever imagine," she voiced her "sincerest hope" that "justice will be fully served," maintaining that the "priority" remains the "safety and protection of innocent children."
Her last known communication with Thomas Snr was a letter sent last December, after his leg amputation, in which he had publicly expressed a desire not to die estranged from his daughter. He is reportedly now residing in a rehabilitation facility in Florida.
The Metropolitan Police has clarified that it has not previously investigated, nor is it currently investigating, Thomas Snr. However, Nicholas Ty, the Undersecretary for the Philippines Department of Justice, confirmed that "the matter is currently being investigated" by an anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation force in Cebu.
Earlier in the day, the Met confirmed it had received a letter in January 2019 detailing claims of "alleged offending outside the UK." This information was then passed to Meghan and Harry "for their awareness," with Meghan's statement affirming she was "given assurance that these were being investigated." The Met also noted that "details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies," adding, "The MPS is reviewing the handling of this matter in 2019 and considering whether a referral to the IOPC is necessary to review our approach."