The Duchess of Sussex said she was made aware of “disturbing allegations” about her father in 2018, and is “deeply distressed” by newly reported accusations that he had a hoard of child sex abuse images.
Meghan said she was shown a letter sent to Scotland Yard eight years ago making “troubling” allegations against Thomas Markle Sr and she was assured that these were being investigated.
It is understood the Metropolitan Police has not previously, nor is the force currently, investigating Mr Markle.
The force said it is making internal inquiries regarding officers from the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Command being involved in the passing on of a letter.
Meghan’s statement comes after The Sun reported that her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, alleged that he found a stash of images belonging to their father at his former home in the Philippines.
It is unclear what the nature of the allegations in 2018 were and whether they are linked to the accusations raised by his son now in 2026.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Thomas Sr denied possessing child sex images, calling the accusations “sick lies”.
It is understood the letter sent to the Metropolitan Police was shared with Meghan in the summer of 2018, after her wedding to Harry.
In a statement first reported by The Sun and issued to the Press Association, Meghan said: “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 with her mother Doria Ragland (PA)
PA Archive
“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.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “We are aware of media reports that officers from the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection Command were involved in the passing on of a letter in 2018.
“We are undertaking inquiries internally in an effort to confirm this.”
In his interview with the Mail, Mr Markle said: “I’m shocked, I’m hurt and I’m very upset that my son is making these accusations against me. I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of.
“This is bulls***. It’s just a bunch of lies. It’s sick. I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies.”
According to The Sun, Thomas Jr told police in the Philippines that he discovered the child abuse pictures and videos mixed up with innocent family mementos.
The newspaper said he has also contacted FBI investigators in the US.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at The Community Recording Studio in Nottingham last week (Doug Peters/PA)
PA Wire
Thomas Markle Jr told The Sun: “When I found this material I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad.
“I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years — but that stops now.
“I won’t speak to my father ever again unless I’m called to give evidence against him.”
Thomas Sr’s eldest daughter Samantha Markle has defended her father and accused Thomas Jr of “making up lies” to make money.
She told the Mail: “There is no merit in these disgusting allegations whatsoever and my brother is disgusting for making them up. He wants to destroy our dad. Shame on him.
“My brother first came out with these lies days after the cash from my dad was cut off. He has used dad as a cash cow for years and once the money stopped he made up the most outrageous lies he could to make money from the media.
“Those computers were out of dad’s possession for two years. That leaves a lot of room for tampering. These are unsubstantiated allegations. Anyone could have been in contact with those computers over the past couple of years.
“Dad did not have access to these computers. Anyone could have set dad up.”
Meghan became estranged from her former TV lighting director father in the run-up to her 2018 royal wedding after he was caught staging paparazzi photographs.
Mr Markle did not attend the wedding, leaving the King to accompany Meghan down the aisle and meaning the only member of her family present was her mother Doria Ragland.
Meghan was the only child of Mr Markle’s marriage to Ms Ragland, though he has two children – Samantha and Thomas Jr – from an earlier marriage.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on their wedding day (Jane Barlow/PA)
PA Archive
In 2021, Meghan won a High Court privacy and copyright claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over articles that reproduced parts of a “personal and private” handwritten letter she wrote to Mr Markle in a bid to get him to stop talking to the press.
She penned the emotional five-page letter to him in August 2018 after taking advice from two unnamed senior royals.
In 2025, Mr Markle moved to the Philippines for a new life after suffering a series of strokes.
Then, in December of that year he had his leg amputated during life-saving surgery.
Meghan “reached out” to him in the aftermath of the operation, a spokesperson for the duchess revealed, with Meghan also said to have tried to do so previously.
He is reportedly now living in a rehab centre in Florida, where he is learning to walk again.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.