The Metropolitan Police has voluntarily referred itself to the police watchdog over its failure to pass on a letter detailing allegations against the Duchess of Sussex's father to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies.
Thomas Markle Sr, Meghan Markle's father, is under investigation by Philippine authorities after alleged child sex abuse images were found at his former home in Cebu. He denies ever possessing such material.
Allegations and Investigation
Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, revealed to the Sun on Friday that he discovered a collection of child sex abuse images that belonged to their father at his previous residence in the Philippines, before alerting local authorities and the FBI.
Their father, Thomas Markle Sr, firmly denies ever having possession of such a collection. He also denies ever having sex with anyone under the age of 18.
The Duchess of Sussex is said to have sent a final letter to her father while he was recuperating there following a leg amputation last year, as reported by the Sun on Sunday. She allegedly wrote to inform him that she knows he is an abuser and that he will never see his grandchildren Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, the publication stated.
Philippine Investigation and Forensic Examination
Philippine interior minister Jonvic Remulla informed The Guardian that a forensic examination of Mr Markle Sr will be finalised within a week and deliver a "definitive picture". Based on the outlet's Sunday report, he commented: "In these cases where family disputes are mixed up, we have to consider all the angles. Right now all signs point to a possible sex offender of the grossest kind. We want to be sure before we release the findings. The forensics data will be complete in a week."
A statement will be issued after the data undergoes analysis, he confirmed, noting: "Please give us a week to determine the contents and to come up with a definitive picture."
The minister informed Agence France-Presse that the nation's police force reportedly discovered a "trove of child pornography materials as well as a laptop" during an inspection of Mr Markle Sr's previous residence in Cebu. "The PNP (Philippine National Police) will co-ordinate with their counterparts to locate and take appropriate legal actions against Mr Markle if found that there is sufficient evidence to charge him", he stated.
Met Police Handling and Reactions
The Metropolitan Police acknowledged that back in 2019 it had delivered a letter "containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom" to Meghan and the Duke of Sussex, though didn't pass on details to additional law enforcement bodies.
The BBC alongside various outlets including the Telegraph, which claimed to have viewed a copy, confirmed the correspondence was penned by Mr Markle Sr's former spouse, Roslyn Loveless, who has now passed away. She is the mother of Mr Markle Jr and Meghan's other half-sibling, Samantha Markle, who has stood by their father, declaring to the Mail on Sunday: "I believe this is a set-up."
Meghan is "upset and really frustrated" by how the Met has handled the probe, the Telegraph stated. She revealed that she was presented with a letter forwarded to Scotland Yard containing "troubling" allegations regarding Mr Markle Sr and was given assurances these matters were under investigation. The Met is currently "reviewing the handling of this matter", including whether the case warrants referral to the police watchdog.
Meghan's friend told the Telegraph: "She's obviously upset and really frustrated that, having effectively been told to stay quiet and having been given assurances it would be investigated, it appears nothing was done. She's obviously pleased that the Met is now considering referring itself to the police watchdog."
Background and Family Context
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner described the Met's choice not to disclose the allegations concerning Mr Markle Sr as an "operational issue". She conveyed sympathy for the "tremendous amount of intrusion" the Duchess of Sussex has endured regarding her family, noting it "must be difficult as a daughter to have all this out in the open".
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Mr Markle Sr stated he has "never had sex with anyone under the age of 18". Mr Markle Sr is currently undergoing rehabilitation at a care facility in Florida following leg amputation during life-saving surgery in 2025. He indicated he would also welcome forensic analysis of his computer and take a lie detector test.
Ms Loveless split from Mr Markle Sr in 1975 before he wed the Duchess of Sussex's mum, Doria Ragland, four years afterwards. Meghan grew distant from her former TV lighting director dad in the lead-up to her 2018 royal nuptials after he was exposed staging paparazzi snaps. He failed to attend the ceremony, resulting in the King escorting Meghan down the aisle and meaning the sole member of her family in attendance was her mum, Ms Ragland. Meghan was the only child from Mr Markle Sr's union with Ms Ragland.
In 2021, Meghan secured a High Court privacy and copyright victory against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over articles that published excerpts of a "personal and private" handwritten letter she penned to Mr Markle Sr in an attempt to persuade him to cease speaking to the media. She composed the heartfelt five-page letter to him in August 2018 following guidance from two unnamed senior royals. In 2025, Mr Markle Sr relocated to the Philippines for a fresh start after enduring a succession of strokes.
