The Metropolitan Police confirmed Saturday that it received a letter in January 2019 containing allegations of child sexual abuse against Thomas Markle, the Duchess of Sussex's father. Scotland Yard said the letter was sent to its Protection Command and passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex but was not shared with other law enforcement agencies.
The allegations surfaced after Thomas Markle Jr. reported finding images to authorities. He is said to have told police he discovered child abuse videos and pictures at his father's former Philippines home and contacted the FBI in July. The Sun newspaper reported these claims. Thomas Markle, 82, denies possessing any such images. He is currently based in the US and is reportedly recovering in a Florida rehabilitation centre after having a leg amputated in 2025.
Meghan released a statement Friday saying she was informed of "disturbing allegations" about her father and was "given assurance that these were being investigated." She said the information explained why she had kept her distance from her father and did not allow him contact with her children.
A discrepancy emerged between Meghan's claim that she learned of the allegations in 2018 and the Met's confirmation that the letter arrived in January 2019. A spokesman for the duchess said "any discrepancy of a few months" was "an understandable consequence of that passage of time."
Scotland Yard said it is reviewing the handling of the matter in 2019 and considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the police watchdog. Authorities in the Philippines have confirmed they are investigating the allegations. The Philippine Interior Minister said national police had secured Markle's computer and would carry out a digital forensic examination. An anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation task force is also investigating.
Markle did not attend Meghan and Harry's 2018 wedding, citing ill health, and the family became estranged. The Duke and Duchess moved to the US in 2020 after stepping down as working royals. They returned to the UK with their children this year after six years away.