Ever since her 2018 royal wedding day, Meghan Markle has been estranged from her father, Thomas Markle.
The 82-year-old infamously staged paparazzi photos ahead of her and Prince Harry’s wedding and then wasn’t able to walk her down the aisle as he was recovering from heart surgery.
Now, shock allegations have emerged that the Duchess of Sussex’s father, 82, possessed child sexual abuse material.
In a report by The Sun, Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., alleged that images of child sexual abuse had been found in his former home in the Philippines. Markle Sr., who is based in the US, has denied all allegations, calling them “sick lies”.
A letter, understood to have been written by Thomas Markle Sr’s first wife, Roslyn Loveless, which contained details of the allegations, was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection and passed on to Meghan.
Whilst Meghan said she was shown the letter in 2018, the Met said in a statement, “Following a thorough review of Met Police systems and records, we have confirmed that in January 2019, we received a letter containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.”
A royal insider tells New Idea, “Already she was seeing him in a different light after those staged pap pics before the wedding, but that turned her whole world upside down.
“She was told an investigation would take place but it was all she needed to hear to finally cut ties for good.”
Meghan cut ties with her father after the wedding however, he continued to sell stories to the tabloids and even started a podcast with a paparazzo.
“Something happened in 2025, and word is more information came to light. It was then that Meghan decided to cut things off legally, making it clear why and requesting a signed delivery receipt,” our insider adds.
Whilst Meghan has struggled with the news, our insider says she has behaved “impeccably” amid the crisis.
“There’s no doubt Meghan’s taken a beating over what everyone thought was bad treatment of her father, but if it turns out these claims are true, she’s behaved impeccably and taken the right steps to protect her children,” they say.
“It’s hard to not feel sorry for her, having to keep quiet and let investigators do their work while the world slams her as cruel and heartless.
“Everyone’s innocent until proven guilty but unless something unexpected comes out of this investigation – which has been going on since before he lost custody of those computers – Meghan’s dad could be facing serious charges.”
In the last letter she ever sent to her father in December 2025, when he was hospitalised in the Philippines following his leg amputation, Meghan reportedly told him that she was aware of the sexual abuse allegations and that she would never allow him to meet her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, adding that it would be the last time he ever heard from her.
Everything Meghan Markle has said about her father Thomas Markle Sr.
Dropping out of the wedding
Just two days before the royal wedding, Meghan confirmed the news that Thomas would no longer be walking her down the aisle.
“Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding,” Meghan said via a statement.
“I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.”
Publishing her letter
In her 2021 bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan recalled the moment she realised her father had been working with the tabloids.
Thomas Markle Sr sent the Daily Mail a letter that she wrote to him after her wedding and excerpts were published without her knowledge or consent.
“We called my dad, and I asked him, and he said, ‘No, absolutely not.’ I said, ‘You know, the Institution has never intervened for anything for us, but they can try to go in and kill this story. But if they do this once, we’re not going to be able to use that same leverage to protect our own kids one day,'” Meghan recalled.
“I said, ‘I just need you to tell me. If you tell me the truth, we can help.’ And he wasn’t able to do that. And that for me has really resonated, especially now as a mother.”
When Oprah asked if that meant her father wasn’t able to protect her, Meghan added, “And also, me saying, full stop, ‘If we use this to protect you, we won’t be able to protect our own children one day.’ Well, I’m talking about your grandchildren. I look at Archie, I think about this child, and I genuinely can’t imagine doing anything to intentionally cause pain to my child. So it’s hard for me to reconcile that.”
Statement on the allegations
Meghan, who is back living in the UK with Harry and their two children, released a statement explaining that she is “deeply distressed” by the allegations against her father and that her 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,” she said.
“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. Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.”
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