Duchess cites 2018 police letter in father's image case

Meghan Markle disclosed on Thursday that the Metropolitan Police informed her of "disturbing allegations" against her father, Thomas Markle Sr, in 2018. The Duchess of Sussex stated that a letter sent to the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection unit, or Rasp, was later shared with her. She said the document made troubling claims about Markle Sr and that authorities assured her they were investigating the matter.

The statement, released through a spokesperson, came after The Sun reported that Markle Sr’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, found a stash of child sexual abuse images. Markle Jr, 60, told detectives in the Philippines he discovered "hundreds, if not thousands" of images on computers and mobile phones. The devices were stored in four large boxes at the family home in Cebu, where Markle Sr resided until returning to the United States in May following a stroke.

Markle Sr denied the accusations, calling them "sick lies" in an interview with the Daily Mail. Speaking from a rehabilitation center in Florida, he said he was "shocked" and "hurt." He noted that he had not possessed the computers since leaving Rosarito, Mexico, in January 2025 to move to the Philippines "for a fresh start." He is currently learning to walk with a prosthetic limb after a left leg amputation caused by a blood clot.

The Duchess said her decision to limit contact with her father and deny him access to her children was driven by a need to protect them. "I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families," she said. 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 Rasp unit passed the letter to her shortly after her wedding.

The Metropolitan Police has not previously investigated Markle Sr and is not currently doing so, according to sources. The force stated it is making internal inquiries to confirm whether Rasp officers were involved in passing the letter. In the Philippines, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said national police secured Markle Sr's computer for a full digital forensic examination. He expected the results to take "one week." Justice Department Undersecretary Nicholas Ty confirmed that a Cebu taskforce handling human trafficking and child sexual exploitation is overseeing the investigation.

Markle Jr also contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which said it will support Philippine authorities and investigate any federal violations of U.S. law. Samantha Markle, the half-sister of Thomas Markle Jr and the Duchess, defended their father. She accused Markle Jr of "making up lies" to make money and alleged the claims surfaced days after their father cut off his funds. She pointed out that the computers were out of his possession for two years, stating, "That leaves a lot of room for tampering."

Thomas Markle Sr has been estranged from the Duchess since he missed her wedding to Prince Harry on health grounds. He has never met his grandchildren, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five.