Meghan Markle did not flee the UK to escape the fallout from the child pornography investigation involving her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., according to multiple royal sources.
Page Six has confirmed that the Sussexes and their children — Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5 — jetted overseas to an unknown location to take advantage of the UK’s school half-term break.
“I wouldn’t describe Meghan as having fled the UK following the allegations against her father,” royal journalist Andrea Caamano exclusively told Page Six.
“We know the news broke while she was already out of the country with her family for the October half-term holidays,” she explained, adding, “Some schools have a two-week break in the UK, so the timing appears to be coincidental rather than a deliberate decision to escape the headlines.”
Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield agreed, telling Page Six that schools across Britain are currently on their October half-term break.
“Harry and Meghan may simply be taking advantage of the school holiday to spend time with their children while allowing some of the controversy to settle,” Schofield said.
Both insiders believe their family getaway isn’t expected to last much longer.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if their retreat from the spotlight lasts about as long as the children’s half-term holiday,” Schofield said.
Caamano, the co-host of Hello!’s “A Right Royal Podcast,” expects the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their kids — Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet — to return to the UK by the end of this week, just in time for their kids to resume school after their break.
“I don’t anticipate this becoming a prolonged retreat from public life,” Caamano said. “Meghan has been incredibly busy with her latest As ever launches, particularly the new holiday collection, and I fully expect her to continue promoting her business. As we say here in Britain, it’s very much a case of ‘keep calm and carry on.’”
We’re told their escape is more of a well-timed break from the negative headlines.
“I don’t believe the Sussexes have any intention of abandoning their ambitions in Britain,” Schofield said. “This may be less of a strategic retreat and more of a convenient opportunity to let the headlines cool down.”
Caamano shared that being away during this “distressing” time has “no doubt been a small blessing in disguise.”
“A friend told us this week that Meghan is incredibly upset…But she is being supported by those closest to her,” Caamano said. “Many friends, both in the UK and abroad, have been reaching out to offer their support.”
The journalist also told us that the couple is protecting their peaceby staying off social media.
“Prince Harry told us himself last month that he is not on social media, and neither is Meghan, despite her having two Instagram accounts,” Caamano said. “They have people who help manage and publish content on their behalf, allowing them to take a step back from social media for the sake of their mental health.”
Meghan, 45, and Harry, 42, got out of dodge just days after news surfaced that Thomas Sr. was being investigated for possessing a trove of child pornography.
“She’s just really, really upset,” a friend close to the As Ever founder told Hello! magazine Monday.
Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan’s half-brother, claimed he found child sexual abuse images and videos in their father’s belongings at his home in the Philippines. Thomas Sr. is now being investigated by local authorities.
Thomas Sr. has denied the allegations, calling them “sick lies.” His other daughter, Samantha Markle, defended her father and accused Thomas Jr. of lying.
Meghan, who has been estranged from her dad since 2018, called the accusations “deeply distressing”and admitted to being aware of the claims for years.
“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,” Markle said in part. “I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.”
Meghan and Harry, who moved back to Britain in August after living in California for six years, had just made their first joint public appearancesince their return earlier this month.
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