Meghan Markle has criticised the Metropolitan Police after her father, Thomas Markle Snr, was arrested and charged in the US. The 82-year-old appeared in court in Tampa, Florida, on Friday over allegations related to the collection of child pornography, according to the United States Department of Justice.
According to The Telegraph, Meghan was not contacted about which officer had passed a letter about her father on to her in 2018, months after she married Prince Harry in Windsor. The Met Police are reportedly trying to identify the officer who gave the letter to the Duchess of Sussex.
Photocopy of letter received
A source close to Meghan has said she received only a photocopy of the letter, with the original still missing. The contents of the letter are unknown, but it informed Meghan about the scandal surrounding her father. It was sent by his ex-wife, Roslyn Loveless, who died in 2024, and she had told police they could contact her by phone or visit her if they needed more details.
The source told The Telegraph: “The Met has not been in touch to ask for our assistance. They contacted the Duchess’s office to ask for a copy of the letter when its existence first came to light but have not been back in touch since then.”
Family reaction to arrest
Thomas Markle Snr was seen being wheeled out of his care home wearing handcuffs. He denies all of the allegations against him. His son, Thomas Markle Jnr, has spoken out about the arrest, saying he felt “vindicated” after the FBI praised him for his involvement in getting his father arrested.
He told The Sun: “It’s a huge relief, I feel vindicated because I’ve been under a lot of pressure this past few weeks. I was devastated to discover who my father really is and it has been an ordeal coming forward. I’ve spent hours and hours giving evidence to the police in the Philippines and providing detailed affidavits which have taken days. It has been incredibly stressful, but I’m pleased with the outcome. I’m just glad my father is being brought to justice.”
Investigation details
Shortly before his arrest, Mr Markle had relocated to a senior-living home specialising in dementia care, which costs an estimated £2,919 [$3,900] per month. The investigation into Mr Markle was launched after his son claimed he had found a collection of images belonging to their father at his former home in the Philippines, where he briefly lived and had his left leg partially amputated. A second hoard was reportedly discovered last week in a storage unit that Mr Markle is said to have rented near his former home in Rosarito, Mexico, during a police raid.
A close friend of the Duchess of Sussex, who has been estranged from her father since 2018, also reportedly told The Sun: “It is her sincerest hope that a full and thorough investigation will now help deliver justice for the victims.”
