Miami, Florida - Thomas Markle, the father of Prince Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, was arrested in Florida on Friday over alleged possession of child sexual abuse material, British and US media reported.

Markle (82) was taken into custody by FBI agents at the retirement home where he lives in the southern state, the Daily Mail and the New York Post said.

The arrest comes after a stash of child abuse material was allegedly found at Markle's former home in the Philippines and at a storage unit he rented in Mexico.

Last month, news broke that Markle's son, Thomas Markle Jr., discovered the images while going through boxes at the Philippines home.

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Meghan Markle said in a public statement that she was "deeply distressed" by the allegations and revealed she had first been made aware of similar claims in 2018 – the same year she married Prince Harry.

The mom of two, who has been estranged from Thomas Markle Sr. for several years, explained that "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."

Late last month, the UK's Metropolitan Police referred itself to a watchdog over the letter Meghan had seen detailing the initial accusations.

While the Duchess said she was assured the claims would be investigated, the police force ultimately decided "not to inform other law enforcement agencies."