Meghan ‘surrounded by loved ones’ during half-term holiday with Lilibet and Archie

The allegations surfaced just as schools across the country broke up for the October holiday.

According to People, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are continuing to receive information about the situation while on holiday with Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, alongside close family and friends.

The couple relocated to Britain in late August after six years in California, with both children subsequently enrolling in a British school for the first time.

A friend of the Duchess told the publication: “It’s been really difficult. She’s really cut up.” The source added: “She has young children, and I think that, alongside the victims, is just weighing on her mind. It’s traumatic.”

Despite the distress, the friend suggested there was also “a slight sense of relief that this is all coming out,” coupled with a hope that “a proper investigation can take place.”

A separate source with knowledge of Meghan’s state of mind offered a more measured assessment. “There is a lot to process emotionally. But she’s doing okay. She’s holding up,” the source told the outlet. “She’s surrounded by loved ones and is feeling supported right now. She has great people around her getting through this moment.”

GB News has contacted the Duchess of Sussex’s spokesman for comment.

The Met confirmed on October 24 that it had received a letter detailing allegations about Mr Markle Sr. in 2019 and had shared the information with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

In her statement issued on October 23 and shared with GB News, the Duchess addressed the police letter directly.

“In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me,” she said. “It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father, and I was given assurances that these were being investigated.”

A representative for Meghan later clarified the date discrepancy, telling the People’s Channel that when recalling events from over seven years ago without a diary entry or contemporaneous record, it was understandable she may have been mistaken by a few months.

The Duchess used her statement to explain her long-standing estrangement: “I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children was for one reason: to protect them.”

She also expressed her wish that justice would be fully served, stating: “Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.”

In response to the accusations, Thomas Markle Sr. strongly denied all allegations made against him in an interview with the Daily Mail: “I’m shocked, I’m hurt, and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me.

“I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of. This is bull****. It’s just a bunch of lies. It’s sick. I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies.”

No criminal charges have been filed against Thomas Markle Sr., and all claims remain unverified allegations subject to ongoing review by law enforcement.