The sickening claims against Thomas Markle set a family test for the royals

Thomas Markle, the 82-year-old father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, appeared in court following an arrest in Florida. According to The Island Sri Lanka, Markle was arrested after the FBI searched two storage units in the Los Angeles area that he had rented for nearly 20 years. The US Department of Justice stated he is charged with one count of possessing indecent images of children. Markle has previously denied the allegations, referring to them as “sick lies.”

During a 30-minute court hearing, Markle was escorted by two US Marshals and arrived in a wheelchair wearing a black t-shirt and black trousers. Federal prosecutor Courtenay Derry laid out the charges, according to CBS News. The court ordered Markle to undergo electronic monitoring and submit to home detention at his assisted living facility in Florida. No plea was taken during the proceedings, and a future arraignment date in California is to be determined.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age both noted that the family dimension of the scandal is inescapable, observing that while most families would support a son and daughter-in-law facing a nightmare, the situation is more complicated for the royals.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Island Sri Lanka — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.