Meghan Markle makes 1st public appearance since father's arrest
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, made her first public appearance on Tuesday since her father, Thomas Markle Sr., was arrested by the FBI last week.
Meghan joined her husband, Prince Harry, at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, for the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial, a tribute to children who have died as a result of digital and social media harms.
The couple were photographed walking into the Parliament building together.
Meghan and Harry were initially scheduled to deliver a joint speech in Brussels, but Meghan pulled out of the joint address on Monday after news of her father's arrest broke.
On Tuesday, Harry delivered the speech, which centered on online child safety, solo.
Meghan's decision not to speak publicly comes after her father was arrested by the FBI in Florida on Friday on one count of possession of child sex abuse material.
Federal authorities said illegal materials were allegedly found in storage units rented by Markle in Los Angeles.
Markle made an appearance at the U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, following his arrest. He did not enter a plea and was released on his own recognizance, with a judge ordering him to home detention with electronic monitoring.
Markle previously denied allegations included in a report by The Sun that he was being investigated by authorities in the Philippines for allegedly possessing child sex abuse material following claims made by his son, Thomas Markle Jr., who is Meghan's half-brother. Markle Sr. called the allegations "sick lies" and "the worst thing anyone could accuse me of" in an interview with The Daily Mail published Oct. 23.
The Philippine Department of Justice later told ABC News the matter involving Markle Sr. was under investigation by an anti-trafficking task force in Cebu.
Meghan has not commented publicly on her father's arrest. She previously released a statement following publication of The Sun's report in October, saying she was "deeply distressed" at the news and that her "thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed."
Tuesday's EU Parliament speech was meant to be Harry and Meghan's first joint overseas engagement since moving back to the United Kingdom in August.
The duke and duchess held their first joint U.K. engagement last month, visiting three charities supporting children, young people, and families in Nottingham, England.
