Meghan Markle is deeply distressed after discovering that 2018 police correspondence contained severe allegations against her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr. The Duchess revealed her longstanding estrangement was intended to protect her children, as international investigations unfold.
The 2018 Metropolitan Police Letter and Disclosed Allegations
The controversy came to light after the Duchess of Sussex issued a public statement addressing communications handled by British law enforcement years prior. According to Meghan, a letter was sent in 2018 to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. The correspondence raised concerns and contained troubling claims. Speaking on A Right Royal Podcast, HELLO!’s Royal Editor Emily Nash shared that associates of the Duchess indicated she initially wished to make the allegations against her father public upon seeing the letter, but law enforcement instructed her to refrain from doing so. The Times also reported that Meghan was advised by police against going public at the time.
Police forced to intervene during Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first official outing https://t.co/sjfd6d4U5f pic.twitter.com/sCEEQshC5i
Thomas Markle Sr. has strongly denied the accusations. Speaking from a rehabilitation facility in Florida, the 82-year-old called the claims sick lies
to the Daily Mail, adding that he was shocked and hurt by his son’s accusations.
I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed. In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me. It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father, and I was given assurances that these were being investigated.
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex
Investigations by Philippine Authorities and the FBI
The current phase of the inquiry stems from actions taken by Thomas Markle Jr., who reported finding electronic devices containing hundreds or thousands of child sexual abuse images while clearing out boxes at his father’s former residence in Cebu, the Philippines. Markle Jr. alerted local law enforcement and contacted the FBI. Meanwhile, Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, accused Thomas Jr. of fabricating the claims in a story published by the Daily Mail. Additionally, the Daily Mail reported that child sex abuse images were discovered at an abandoned storage unit belonging to Thomas Sr. in Mexico, where he lived prior to the Philippines.
Melvin Matibag, director of the Philippines’ National Bureau of Investigation, told The Associated Press that the FBI requested assistance in looking into Markle Jr.’s claims. Meanwhile, Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that the Philippine National Police is continuing its investigation into the matter. Officials added that police secured a computer for digital forensic examination, and the Philippine Department of Justice confirmed the matter is under investigation.
Metropolitan Police Review and Buckingham Palace Reaction
Addressing queries about how it managed the communications, the Metropolitan Police revealed it has initiated a self-referral to the police watchdog after omitting to transmit the correspondence to the appropriate international law enforcement bodies. The police watchdog in England and Wales will examine the handling of the matter.
Royal Editor Emily Nash noted on A Right Royal Podcast that the Duchess has been in bits and really struggling while spending the half-term break with Prince Harry and their children—Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Close friends have checked in daily, noting that while she feels horrified for other children allegedly caught up in the situation, there is relief that people now know the full story after years of carrying it. Since returning to the UK in August, Meghan has carried out one official public engagement: spending a day in Nottingham carrying out charity visits alongside Prince Harry.
I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, 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. I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex