Duchess reveals 2018 police warning about father's image claims

Meghan Markle has disclosed that she learned of serious allegations against her father in 2018, more than seven years before current investigations began. The Duchess of Sussex said a letter from the Metropolitan Police’s Royalty and Specialist Protection unit, known as Rasp, described “disturbing allegations” against Thomas Markle Sr. She stated she was assured at the time that authorities were investigating the claims.

The disclosure came after the Sun newspaper reported that Markle’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, told Philippine detectives he found hundreds or possibly thousands of child sexual abuse images. Markle Jr said the files were stored on computers and mobile phones kept in four large boxes at a home in Cebu. He reported the discovery to local police and also contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI stated it will support Philippine authorities and look into any federal violations of US law.

Markle Sr, 64, denies the claims. From a rehabilitation center in Florida, he told the Daily Mail the accusations are “sick lies.” He said he was shocked and hurt by the reports. The former hotelier is currently learning to walk with a prosthetic limb after a blood clot required the amputation of his left leg. He noted that he left the Philippines in May after a stroke and has not been in possession of the computers since moving there from Mexico in January 2025.

Philippine officials confirmed the case is under active investigation. Jonvic Remulla, the interior secretary, said national police secured Markle Sr’s computer for a full digital forensic examination. He expects the forensic results within one week. Nicholas Ty, an undersecretary at the justice department, told the BBC that a human trafficking and child sexual exploitation taskforce in Cebu is handling the matter.

Meghan’s statement explained her decision to distance herself from her father. She said her estrangement and her choice not to allow him contact with her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, were intended to protect them. “I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families,” she said. She added that she hopes justice will be fully served and that children’s safety remains the priority. Sources indicated she could not speak publicly in 2018 because doing so might have jeopardized a future investigation or exposed her to legal action.

The Met Police has not previously investigated Markle Sr and is not doing so now. The force said it is making internal inquiries to confirm whether Rasp officers were involved in passing the letter to Meghan. Sources said the unit shared the document with her shortly after her wedding in 2018. The letter remains a key piece of evidence in the ongoing legal and forensic review of the case.

Samantha Markle, the couple’s half-sister, defended her father and accused Markle Jr of “making up lies” to make money. She alleged the claims surfaced days after their father cut off his funds. She also pointed out that the computers were out of his possession for two years, noting that this leaves room for tampering. Markle Sr has been estranged from the Duchess since he missed her wedding on health grounds. He has never met his grandchildren, who are now seven and five years old.