Buckingham Palace was reportedly "blindsided" by allegations involving Meghan Markle's estranged father, former Hollywood lighting director Thomas Markle Sr.
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Palace → blindside → father
The Sun reported on Oct. 22 that Thomas Markle Jr. said he found "hundreds, if not thousands" of images depicting child sexual abuse while clearing out boxes at his father's former home in Cebu, Philippines.
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he → report → Cebu
Markle Jr. told the newspaper that he reported the images to Philippine police and contacted the FBI in the U.S.
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he → tell → U.S.
The 82-year-old Markle denied the allegations to the Daily Mail, telling the newspaper: "I'm shocked, I'm hurt, and I'm very upset that my son is making these accusations against me.
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son → deny → me
I could never do what I'm being accused of.
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I → do → what
It's the worst thing anyone could accuse me of."
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anyone → accuse → me
Fox News Digital reached out to Markle Sr. for comment.
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Digital → reach → comment
"Following the report, I made more than 40 phone calls to royal sources over the weekend, and nobody I spoke to had heard anything about these allegations before the story broke in The Sun
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story → follow → Sun
," Kinsey Schofield, host of the YouTube show "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered," told Fox News Digital.
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Schofield → tell → Digital
"My understanding is that Buckingham Palace was blindsided," she said.
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she → blindside → ?
"They find themselves dragged into another controversy involving [the Sussexes].
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themselves → find → Sussexes
WATCH: BUCKINGHAM PALACE WAS 'BLINDSIDED' BY THOMAS MARKLE SR. ALLEGATIONS: EXPERT
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
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Digital → watch → comment
In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, Meghan wrote: "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.
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who → send → children
In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection.
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letter → send → Police
That letter was subsequently shared with me.
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letter → share → me
It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father, and I was given assurances that these were being investigated."
"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
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him → make → them
," she wrote.
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she → write → ?
"I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.
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authorities → trust → families
Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.
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priority → uncover → children
WATCH: KING CHARLES MAY PRIVATELY SUPPORT MEGHAN MARKLE AMID CONTROVERSY: EXPERT
The Metropolitan Police said its records show that the letter was received in January 2019, not 2018.
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letter → watch → January
Meghan's spokesperson subsequently acknowledged the discrepancy, saying the police's timestamped records should be treated as authoritative.
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records → acknowledge → discrepancy
The letter was written by Markle Sr.'s first wife, Roslyn Markle, also known as Roslyn Loveless, ITV News reported on Oct. 26.
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News → write → Oct.
The outlet said it had reviewed the letter, which contained allegations of sexual abuse against Markle Sr.
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which → say → Sr
He has denied the allegations.
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He → deny → allegations
Melvin Matibag, director of the Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation, told The Associated Press that the FBI had requested the bureau's assistance in investigating Markle Jr.'s allegations against his father.
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FBI → tell → father
Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla separately told the AP that the Philippine National Police was also investigating Markle Jr.'s allegations against his father.
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Police → tell → father
Remulla did not elaborate.
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Remulla → elaborate → ?
A spokesperson for Remulla told Fox News Digital that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is continuing its investigation.
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Police → tell → investigation
Schofield said the royal family would likely keep its distance from the Sussexes as its members prioritize their duties while the investigation continues.
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investigation → say → duties
"King Charles is in a difficult position," said Schofield.
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Schofield → say → position
"As a father, I believe he would want to offer Harry emotional support.
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he → believe → support
Let's not forget, it was the king who walked Meghan down the aisle when her own father couldn't.
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father → let → aisle
But Harry has repeatedly shared private conversations through interviews, documentaries and his memoir.
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Harry → share → interviews
The king would be reluctant to have a sensitive conversation on this topic with Prince Harry without reassurance that it would remain private.
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it → have → reassurance
"
"As for Prince William, don't expect him to get involved," said Schofield.
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Schofield → expect → William
The palace has already established that Harry and Meghan are private citizens who do not represent the crown.
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who → establish → crown
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that allegations were passed to Sussex's office in 2019, but the police say they did not share those allegations with other law enforcement agencies.
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they → confirm → agencies
My royal sources have given me no indication that the palace was informed."
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palace → give → indication
A spokesperson for London's Metropolitan Police told Fox News Digital: "Following a thorough review of Met Police systems and records, we have confirmed that in January 2019, we received a letter containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.
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we → tell → Kingdom
It was sent to the MPS Protection Command to raise concerns in relation to the security of the Duchess of Sussex.
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It → send → Sussex
…and 30 more, not listed.
The Aporia
