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, the arrest occurred after the FBI searched two storage units in the Los Angeles area that Markle had rented for nearly 20 years. He is charged with one count of possessing indecent images of children, based on a federal complaint from the US Department of Justice alleging he held child sex abuse material. Markle has previously denied these allegations, characterizing them as “sick lies.”

During a 30-minute court hearing, Markle was escorted by two US Marshals while wearing a black t-shirt and black trousers. The Island Sri Lanka reports that he was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair and that federal prosecutor Courtenay Derry laid out the charges. No plea was taken during the proceedings, and a joint statement from the DoJ and the US Attorney’s Office Central California indicated that an arraignment date in California will be determined later.

The court ordered Markle to undergo electronic monitoring and submit to home detention at his assisted living facility in Florida.

The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald both noted that the unfolding scandal presents a complicated family dimension for the royals, observing that supporting a son and daughter-in-law during such a nightmare is more complex for the royal family than for most.

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