Meghan Markle makes 1st public appearance since father’s arrest

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, made her first public appearance on Tuesday since her father, Thomas Markle Sr., was arrested by the FBI last week.

Meghan joined her husband, Prince Harry, at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, for the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial, a tribute to children who have died as a result of digital and social media harms.

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive at the European Parliament in Brussels, November 10, 2026, to attend the opening of "Lost Screen Memorial".

The couple were photographed walking into the Parliament building together.

Meghan and Harry were initially scheduled to deliver a joint speech in Brussels, but Meghan pulled out of the joint address on Monday after news of her father's arrest broke.

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speaks at the opening of "Lost Screen Memorial" at the European Parliament in Brussels, November 10, 2026.
Nicolas Tucat/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
On Tuesday, Harry delivered the speech, which centered on online child safety, solo.

Meghan's decision not to speak publicly comes after her father was arrested by the FBI in Florida on Friday on one count of possession of child sex abuse material.

Federal authorities said illegal materials were allegedly found in storage units rented by Markle in Los Angeles.

Markle made an appearance at the U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, following his arrest. He did not enter a plea and was released on his own recognizance, with a judge ordering him to home detention with electronic monitoring.

Markle previously denied allegations included in a report by The Sun that he was being investigated by authorities in the Philippines for allegedly possessing child sex abuse material following claims made by his son, Thomas Markle Jr., who is Meghan's half-brother. Markle Sr. called the allegations "sick lies" and "the worst thing anyone could accuse me of" in an interview with The Daily Mail published Oct. 23.

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, attends the inauguration of "The Lost Screen Memorial" exhibition for the unveiling of a temporary memorial to protect children from online abuse, in Geneva, Switzerland, May 17, 2026.

The Philippine Department of Justice later told ABC News the matter involving Markle Sr. was under investigation by an anti-trafficking task force in Cebu.

Meghan has not commented publicly on her father's arrest. She previously released a statement following publication of The Sun's report in October, saying she was "deeply distressed" at the news and that her "thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed."

Meghan Markle 'deeply distressed' amid report her father Thomas Markle Sr. is under investigation
Tuesday's EU Parliament speech was meant to be Harry and Meghan's first joint overseas engagement since moving back to the United Kingdom in August.

The duke and duchess held their first joint U.K. engagement last month, visiting three charities supporting children, young people, and families in Nottingham, England.