Duchess of Sussex says she was told of father's abuse image claims in 2018

The Duchess of Sussex stated she is deeply distressed by reports that her father, Thomas Markle Sr, possessed images of child sexual abuse. She revealed that the Metropolitan Police informed her of these allegations in 2018. The disclosure came after The Sun newspaper reported that her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, told detectives he found a large collection of such images at their father's former home in the Philippines.

Markle Sr, who has denied the claims, called them sick lies in an interview with the Daily Mail. He said he was shocked and hurt by the accusations. The duchess said a letter sent in 2018 to the Met and its Royalty and Specialist Protection unit, known as Rasp, was later shared with her. She said the letter contained troubling allegations and that she was assured an investigation was underway.

Sources close to Meghan indicated she did not speak publicly in 2018 to avoid jeopardizing a future investigation or facing legal action. The Rasp unit reportedly passed the letter to her shortly after her wedding. The Met has not previously investigated Markle Sr and is not doing so now, but the force is making internal inquiries to confirm if Rasp officers were involved in sharing the document.

According to The Sun, Markle Jr, 60, told police he found hundreds or thousands of images on computers and mobile phones stored in four boxes in Cebu. Markle Sr lived in that location until returning to the United States in May after a stroke. Markle Jr also contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which stated it will support Philippine authorities and look into potential federal violations of US law.

Philippine officials confirmed the matter is under investigation. Nicholas Ty, an undersecretary at the justice department, told the BBC that a taskforce in Cebu is handling the case. Interior secretary Jonvic Remulla said national police have secured Markle Sr's computer for a full digital forensic examination. He expected results within one week.

Markle Sr is currently at a rehabilitation centre in Florida. He is learning to walk with a prosthetic limb following the amputation of his left leg due to a blood clot. He told the Daily Mail he had not possessed the computers since leaving Rosarito, Mexico, in January 2025 to move to the Philippines for a fresh start.

Samantha Markle, the duchess's half-sister, defended their father. She accused Markle Jr of making up lies to make money, noting the claims emerged days after their father cut off his funds. She said the computers were out of his possession for two years, leaving room for tampering.

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