A collection of books and photographs found in a storage unit rented by Thomas Markle Sr., father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has raised concerns due to the nature of the materials, which appear to reflect an unsettling focus on sexualized images of children and related topics. The items were discovered in a unit near Rosarito, Mexico, where Markle lived from 2011, before Meghan’s relationship with Prince Harry became widely known.
Among the materials is a 1972 photo book, Victorian Children, co-authored by Graham Ovenden, an English photographer convicted in 2013 of child abuse involving children as young as six. Ovenden’s work, once displayed in major galleries such as the Tate and the Victoria and Albert Museum, was removed following his conviction, and a court ordered the destruction of his collection in 2015. The book features images of semi-naked children posed suggestively.
Other items in the collection include Young Aphrodites, a companion book to a controversial 1963 Greek film depicting the story of a 12-year-old girl who is wooed and raped by a shepherd in Ancient Greece, with scenes implying the girl’s eventual consent. Also found was a 1962 book, Forbidden Sexual Behaviour and Morality, by sexologist Robert Masters, which contains a chapter addressing pedophilia that critics say downplays the trauma experienced by victims while discussing adult attraction to underage girls.
Markle’s collection further contained The Intimate Sex Lives of Famous People, a 1981 directory detailing the sexual behaviors of celebrities under headings such as incest and engagements with underage girls, including allegations about Charlie Chaplin’s predilections. Books exploring child prostitution, such as The Invisible Children by investigative journalist Gitta Sereny, and historical accounts of sex work dating to ancient times in Stews and Strumpets, were also among the materials.
Photographic content includes nude and semi-nude images of young girls, including at least two copies of Hollywood Lolitas: The Nymphet Syndrome in the Movies, a 1998 book criticized for failing to acknowledge exploitation of young actresses. Some personal photographs of Markle Sr. show him with a young Asian girl in various poses, including some depicting the girl naked in sexualized positions.
This cache was uncovered independently by journalists, with no involvement from the Markle family, differentiating it from previous disclosures by Markle’s son Thomas Jr., who found controversial materials in the family home in Cebu, Philippines. Thomas Jr.’s revelations sparked a public dispute with his half-sister Samantha, who dismissed the claims as fabricated for financial gain.
Thomas Markle Sr., now undergoing rehabilitation in Florida after a leg amputation, has denied any wrongdoing related to the materials. His residence in Rosarito was notably private, located within a gated community, and played a role in the early phases of the public’s interest in Meghan and Harry’s relationship.
Reports also indicate that prior to the birth of Meghan’s son, Archie, in 2019, she was shown a letter from Markle’s first wife, Roslyn Loveless, to a specialized police unit addressing concerns about Markle’s conduct. The letter is said to have been shared with senior officials close to the Royal Family but was later misplaced by authorities. Scotland Yard has recently reported itself to the police watchdog over its handling of the letter, which has become part of a broader controversy involving royal security and law enforcement.
The discovery of this material has reignited scrutiny over Markle Sr.’s past and raises questions about his influence on and connection to the Duchess’s life, complicating public perceptions of the wider Royal Family amid ongoing media attention.