The Duchess of Sussex's estranged father has confessed to paying for sex in the Philippines – but denies sleeping with underage girls.
asserted
father → estrange → girls
Thomas Markle today vowed to 'do whatever it takes' to clear his name after being accused of sickening child sex crimes, telling The Mail on Sunday: 'I have never had sex with anyone under the age of 18.'
The 82-year-old admitted that when he was single, he travelled to the Philippines at least twice and 'slept with prostitutes', adding: 'I like Asian women but that is not a crime.'
He protested his innocence as the Metropolitan Police faced questions over why it sat on a letter that made sex abuse claims against him for more than seven years.
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that → vow → years
Last week, Meghan said she was assured the 'troubling and disturbing' allegations were being investigated.
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allegations → say → ?
But the Met today admitted failing to pass on the details of the 'alleged offending outside the UK' to other law enforcement agencies, presumably those in the US, Mexico and the Philippines where Mr Markle has lived.
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Markle → admit → US
Filipino authorities are now investigating the former Hollywood lighting technician for allegedly hoarding child-sex images.
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authorities → investigate → images
One 35mm photograph reportedly shows a bearded man resembling Mr Markle having sex with a young Asian girl.
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photograph → show → girl
'I have never been in a photograph like that,' he said tonight.
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he → say → that
Meghan Markle's estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr, has admitted paying for sex in the Philippines, but denies sleeping with underage girls
Meghan has been estranged from her father since 2018, the year she married Prince Harry
Thomas Markle, pictured with nurse Rio Canedo, is the subject of a child sex investigation after being reported to police by his son.
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Markle → estrange → son
On Saturday, he vowed to 'do whatever it takes' to clear his name
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it → vow → name
During an extensive two-hour interview, Mr Markle told the MoS that:
- He would willingly speak to investigators and take a lie detector test to demonstrate his innocence;
- He believes his son Tom Jnr – who reported him to police – is possibly behind the explosive letter;
- Meghan stopped him from ever seeing his grandchildren Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, because of the 'lies' he has not been given the chance to challenge;
- Books among the hoard described as 'pornographic' are about nothing more than Hollywood history and photography;
- Any child abuse images found on his computer were 'planted' to destroy his reputation before he dies.
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he → tell → reputation
The duchess has spoken of her 'deep distress' at the allegations, that were 'more sickening than one could ever imagine'.
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one → speak → allegations
She added: 'My thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.'
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who → add → children
She said she hoped 'it can now be understood' that her decision to cut ties with her father 'and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason – to protect them'.
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him → say → them
Meghan initially said she learned about the accusations in 2018, although the Met later revealed they had actually passed the information on in 2019.
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they → say → 2019
Mr Markle relocated to Cebu City in the Philippines from his home in Mexico last year.
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Markle → relocate → Mexico
He is currently in a nursing facility in Florida where he is learning to walk with a prosthetic limb after his left leg was amputated last December.
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leg → learn → limb
Mr Markle said: 'She [Meghan] never said a word to me about this letter accusing me of such terrible things.
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She → say → things
If Meghan or anyone else had come to me in 2018 and told me about the letter I would have had a chance to defend myself.
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I → come → myself
Last week, Meghan revealed she had been made aware of the 'troubling and disturbing' claims about her father in 2018 (She is pictured here in Sydney in April 2026)
Mr Markle said Meghan stopped him from seeing Archie and Lilibet (pictured) because of the 'lies' he has not been given the chance to challenge
'Why did Meghan not ask me about it?
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Meghan → reveal → it
I will do whatever it takes to clear my name.
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it → do → name
I am not well enough to go to the Philippines but I will speak to anyone who wants to talk to me.
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who → go → me
I have nothing to hide.
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I → have → nothing
I am an innocent man and she gave me no chance to defend myself.
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she → give → myself
I have been asking to see my grandchildren before I die.
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I → ask → grandchildren
If she saw this awful letter in 2018 why did she not contact me or send someone to speak to me?
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she → see → me
She has the power to send the police or FBI.
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She → have → police
Why cut me off for a letter which contains lies and not let me defend myself?'
His son Tom Jnr, 60, claims that he found child abuse images on computers his father left behind in the Philippines when he returned to the States earlier this year.
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he → cut → States
He told The Sun: 'When I found this material, I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad.
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I → tell → dad
I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years, but that stops now.
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that → support → years
I won't speak to my father ever again unless I'm called to give evidence against him.'
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I → speak → him
Officials confirmed today that Mr Markle was being investigated by officers in Cebu City's anti-trafficking and anti-child abuse task force.
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Markle → confirm → force
Meanwhile the FBI is poised to launch its own investigation after being contacted by Tom Jnr.
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FBI → poise → Jnr
Meghan's half-sister Samantha, who is Mr Markle's main caregiver, believes if a photograph exists of her father on a bed with a young-looking Asian woman 'it may be one of his girlfriends', adding: 'Dad dated a wonderful Japanese woman called Carolyn who I loved.
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I → believe → who
She was in her thirties but she looked like a teenager.
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she → look → teenager
Thomas Markle Jr, Meghan's brother, claimed to have found the child-abuse material packed up in boxes at his father's Philippines home
Meghan has spoken of her 'deep distress' at the allegations, that were 'more sickening than one could ever imagine'
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one → claim → allegations
(Pictured: A young Meghan with her father)
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Meghan → picture → father
Asian women have great skin and are small and petite.
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women → have → skin
They look much younger than they are.
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they → look → ?
Dad had another girlfriend called Gail.
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Dad → have → girlfriend
She was Asian and gorgeous but looked very young.'
Mr Markle was married twice, to Tom Jnr and Samantha's mother Roslyn Loveless, and then to Meghan's mother Doria Ragland.
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Markle → look → mother
…and 38 more, not listed.
The Aporia
