- Published
The Metropolitan Police says it is investigating reports that a letter was sent to one of its specialist units in 2018 containing allegations about Thomas Markle, the father of the Duchess of Sussex.
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letter → publish → Sussex
Meghan released a statement saying that a letter was sent to the force containing "disturbing allegations" about the behaviour of her estranged father, and subsequently shared with her.
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letter → release → her
On Friday, it was reported that images of child sexual abuse allegedly belonging to Markle, 82, were found in his former home in the Philippines.
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images → report → Philippines
The Sun newspaper, which first carried the claims, external, later said that the letter made direct allegations of child sex abuse against him.
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letter → carry → him
UK police are not investigating Thomas Markle, who is based in the US and strenuously denies the allegations made against him.
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who → investigate → him
Instead, Scotland Yard has opened an inquiry to confirm the claim that the Met's royal protection unit passed on the letter to the Duchess eight years ago.
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unit → open → Duchess
According to the Sun, the letter was sent to a Met Police unit tasked with dealing with individuals posing a threat to Royals and politicians - the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre.
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letter → accord → Royals
A Met 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.
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officers → say → 2018
We are undertaking inquiries internally in an effort to confirm this."
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We → undertake → this
Thomas Markle moved to the Philippines in 2025 after a series of strokes.
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Markle → move → strokes
He is reportedly now living in a rehabilitation centre in Florida, where he is learning to walk again, after having a leg amputated during surgery in December 2025.
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leg → live → December
In her statement on Friday, Meghan said that when she received the letter outlining allegations against her father in 2018, she was "given assurance that these were being investigated".
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these → say → assurance
Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, told the Sun that he had allegedly found child abuse images at his father's home in the Philippines and reported it to the police.
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he → tell → police
The Undersecretary for the Philippines Department of Justice, Nicholas Ty, told the BBC that "the matter is currently being investigated" by an anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation task force in Cebu.
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matter → tell → Cebu
Philippines Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla separately told the BBC that national police had secured Thomas Markle Snr's computer to conduct a comprehensive digital forensic examination.
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police → tell → examination
Investigators there are currently analysing the data to determine the full scope and extent of his alleged criminal activities, with the minister saying it would take one week to get the forensic results.
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it → analyse → results
The US Federal Bureau of Investigations said it was "aware of the allegations", adding it would "provide support, as appropriate, to the Philippine authorities".
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it → say → authorities
The FBI's statement continued: "We will also investigate any related allegations of federal violations of US law."
Meghan is the only child of Thomas Markle's marriage to her mother, Doria Ragland, but he has two other children - Samantha and Thomas Markle Jr - from an earlier marriage.
The relationship between Meghan and her father, a former TV lighting director, broke down in the run-up to her wedding in 2018.
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relationship → continue → 2018
At the time, Thomas Markle was found to have colluded with photographers, accepting payment to stage photographs of him preparing for the wedding.
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him → find → wedding
It is understood that Meghan first learnt about the allegations against her father shortly after she married the Duke of Sussex Prince Harry.
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she → understand → Sussex
Sources close to the Sussexes said Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations when she first learned of them, in order to avoid jeopardising any future investigation.
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she → say → investigation
Speaking out could have resulted in legal action against her, the sources said.
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sources → speak → her
In her statement released on Friday, Meghan said she hoped it could be understood why she had kept her distance from her father and did "not allow him to have contact with our children".
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him → release → children
This was "to protect them", Meghan said, adding that she had "trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families".
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authorities → protect → families
"I am deeply distressed", she said.
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she → distress → ?
"My thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed".
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who → harm → children
She described the allegations as "more sickening than one could ever imagine" and said her "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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priority → describe → children
The BBC has contacted Thomas Markle for additional comment.
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BBC → contact → comment
Those outside the UK can sign up here.
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Those → sign → UK
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