Duchess of Sussex Discusses Allegations Against Estranged Father

According to a report from BBC UK, the Duchess of Sussex indicated that in 2018, a letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle was sent to the Metropolitan Police and subsequently shared with her. These comments followed reports that images allegedly depicting child sexual abuse belonging to her father had been discovered at his previous home in the Philippines.

Thomas Markle, who is 82 years old and resides in the US, has denied possessing any such images. After the allegations, which were first reported by The Sun newspaper, the Duchess commented that she felt deeply distressed by the news that had surfaced in the preceding 24 hours, and she expressed her thoughts for any children who might have been harmed.

She mentioned that when she received the letter detailing the allegations against her father, she was given assurance that these matters were under investigation. Furthermore, she stated that she hoped people could understand her distance from her father and that she did not permit him contact with their children, asserting this was done to protect them. Meghan described the allegations as being more sickening than imaginable and expressed her sincere hope that justice would be fully served, with the safety and protection of innocent children remaining the priority.

Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., claimed to The Sun that he located child abuse images at his father's home in the Philippines and reported this to the police. Nicholas Ty, the Undersecretary for the Philippines Department of Justice, informed the BBC that an anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation task force in Cebu was currently investigating the matter. Separately, Jonvic Remulla, the Philippines Interior Minister, told the BBC that national police had secured Thomas Markle Snr's computer for a thorough digital forensic examination. Investigators are presently analyzing the data to ascertain the full scope and extent of his alleged criminal activities, with the minister noting that forensic results would take one week to obtain.

It is understood that the Met has neither nor is it currently investigating Meghan's father. The force stated it was conducting an internal inquiry to confirm whether the Met's royal protection unit had passed the letter to the Duchess. The FBI indicated it was aware of the allegations and would offer support to the Philippine authorities as appropriate, while also investigating any related allegations of federal violations of US law.

The statement from the Duchess of Sussex noted that the sharing of information regarding her father occurred in 2018, the year she married Prince Harry. It is understood that Meghan first learned about the allegations against her father after the wedding. Sources close to the Sussexes mentioned that Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations when she first became aware of them to prevent jeopardizing any future investigation, as speaking out could have led to legal action against her.

The claims introduce a new element to discussions regarding the complex family dynamics, specifically concerning why Prince Harry and their children never appeared to meet Meghan's father and why their relationship seemed strained.

Meghan sent a letter to her estranged father while he was hospitalized in the Philippines following a procedure. The Sussexes' spokesperson has denied that this issue was a factor in their decision to return to the UK in late summer, where her father was living. The pair and their two children returned to the UK in August after spending six years in the US, following their step back as senior royals in January 2020, meaning they no longer perform official royal duties or receive public funds.

Meghan is the sole child resulting from Thomas Markle's marriage to her mother, Doria Ragland, but he has two other children, Samantha and Thomas Markle Jr., from a prior marriage. The relationship between Meghan and her father, a former TV lighting director, deteriorated leading up to her 2018 wedding. At that time, Thomas Markle was found to have collaborated with photographers, accepting payment to stage photographs of him preparing for the wedding. This fallout resulted in him withdrawing from his daughter's wedding, citing health issues, and Meghan was instead escorted down the aisle by King Charles III, then Prince of Wales. In 2025, Thomas Markle relocated to the Philippines subsequent to a series of strokes. He is reportedly residing in a rehabilitation center in Florida, where he is working on regaining the ability to walk after undergoing surgery in December 2025 that resulted in a leg amputation.