Meghan Markle will no longer deliver joint speech to EU Parliament with Prince Harry
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will not deliver what was scheduled to be a joint speech on digital safety and child protection with Prince Harry at a European Parliament meeting on Tuesday, ABC News confirmed Monday.
The development comes after Meghan's father, Thomas Markle Sr., was arrested by the FBI in Florida on Friday on one count of possession of child pornography. 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.
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."
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.
