Meghan Markle makes first public appearance since dad's arrest
· Toronto Sun
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Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were seen holding hands on Tuesday as they made their first public appearance since the arrest of her father , Thomas Markle, on charges of child pornography.
The couple arrived on Tuesday at the European Parliament in Brussels for an event on child safety, particularly focusing on online abuse and exploitation, CBS News reports. Meghan had been scheduled to deliver a speech, but withdrew, leaving Harry to deliver the address alone. The event marked the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial, an art installation commemorating children who died after being exposed to online harm.
Harry said he and Meghan were there in support of “parents who never imagined they would have a reason to be in rooms like this.”
Children “deserve to feel safe wherever they are,” Harry said in his speech, “in a classroom, on a playground, at any time, no matter where they are.”
Thomas Markle appears in court
The event comes shortly after Thomas Markle’s court appearance on Friday. Markle, 82, faces one count of possession of child pornography after, according to federal attorney Bill Essayli, FBI agents seized 78 items that included “slides, film negatives and books” in two Los Angeles storage units Markle allegedly rented out, according to Sky News .
The items allegedly include “sexually explicit photographs of himself with prepubescent girls.”
“These allegations are extremely serious, and we will prosecute Mr. Markle to the fullest extent of federal law,” Essayli said.
Police in the Philippines said they are also probing alleged child porn materials found at Markle’s former home in the city of Cebu.
Markle didn’t enter a plea at the brief hearing in Tampa, Fla., and was released back to a senior care facility in Lakeland, Fla., with an electronic tag. The judge also ordered a psychiatric examination to determine whether or not Markle can understand the legal proceedings.
Meghan distressed
The Duchess of Sussex told media last month that she was “deeply distressed” by the allegations against her estranged father. She said she first heard the allegations in 2018 and said they played a large part in the couple’s decision to keep their children from him.
“In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated,” she told CBS News in a statement.
Roya Nikkah, royal editor at Britain’s Sunday Times, told CBS that Meghan is very upset, but decided to attend this most recent event “in solidarity.”
“I know from people close to her that she is very, very emotional, and that is the reason why she pulled out of giving the speech along with Harry today in Brussels,” she said. “It’s been a very difficult time for her.”