Britain's Metropolitan Police have confirmed they received a letter containing allegations that Thomas Markle Sr., 82, travelled to the Philippines and Thailand to abuse children, and that they passed the letter to his daughter Meghan Markle — who says it is the reason she cut him off from her children. He denies the claims as "sick lies."
The Met said it received the letter in January 2019. It contained "a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom," was sent to the force's Protection Command over security concerns for the Duchess of Sussex, and after review was passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for awareness. The details were not shared with other law enforcement agencies. The Met says it is now reviewing its 2019 handling of the letter and considering a referral to the police watchdog. Meghan has recalled being shown the letter in 2018; the Met's records date its receipt to January 2019.
In her statement on Friday, Meghan said she is "deeply distressed" by the news, that the letter carried "troubling and disturbing allegations" against her father, and that she was given assurances it was being investigated. She said she cut contact with him and blocked his access to her children "to protect them," and that her thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.
Authorities in the Philippines have confirmed an investigation by the anti-trafficking and online child-exploitation task force in Cebu. It follows claims by Thomas Markle Jr. that, while clearing his father's former home in Cebu, he found hundreds, if not thousands, of child abuse images and videos there, and reported it to Philippine police and contacted the FBI. The material has not been confirmed as belonging to Thomas Markle Sr.
The FBI says it is aware of the allegations and "will provide support, as appropriate, to the Philippine authorities," adding that it "will also investigate any related allegations of federal violations of U.S. law."
Thomas Markle Sr., who is in a rehabilitation centre in Florida, denies everything. "I could never do what I'm being accused of," he said, adding that the computers had not been in his possession since he left Mexico in 2025. "I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies."
No one has been charged, and nothing has been adjudicated. The allegations remain under investigation in the Philippines with FBI support, the Met is reviewing why the letter was never passed to other agencies, and the man at the centre of it denies every word.
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