Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, sent a letter to her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., in December 2025 confronting him over child sexual abuse allegations and stating he would never meet her two children, according to CBS News and its British partner BBC News. The correspondence followed earlier claims submitted to London's Metropolitan Police by Markle's late first wife, Roslyn Loveless, and precedes an active investigation opened in October 2026 by authorities in the Philippines into alleged child sexual abuse materials found at Markle's former residence. Thomas Markle Sr., 82, who currently resides in the United States, strongly denies all allegations of abuse and possession of illegal materials.

The December 2025 Hospital Letter and First Wife's Claims

The Duchess of Sussex broke off remaining contact with her father last year by delivering a final warning while he was hospitalized following a series of strokes, a blood clot, and the amputation of his left leg. According to BBC News, sources close to the duchess stated that the letter informed her father that she and law enforcement authorities knew he had abused young girls, and confirmed he would have no contact with her and Prince Harry's two children, Archie and Lilibet. In separate reporting on the correspondence, The Telegraph noted that the letter accused him of being unsafe around children and urged him to seek professional help, though the full text of the document has not been publicly released.

News outlets have presented differing accounts regarding where the December 2025 letter was physically received. While BBC News reported that the message was sent while Markle was recovering in a hospital in the Philippines after his leg amputation, CBS News cited video footage obtained by the Daily Mail that reportedly shows Markle accepting the letter in a U.S. hospital room in December 2025. Markle, who has since relocated to a rehabilitation facility in Florida to learn to walk again, told the Mail on Sunday that he did not recall the exact wording of the message, adding that "if Meghan says that's what she wrote, then she's probably right."

The confrontation stemmed from initial warnings that surfaced years earlier, shortly after Meghan married Prince Harry in 2018. According to BBC News, the initial letter sent to British police outlining claims against Thomas Markle Sr. was written by his first wife, Roslyn Loveless. Loveless, who has since died, was married to Markle from 1964 until their divorce in 1975, prior to his 1979 marriage to Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland. Loveless was the mother of Meghan's half-siblings, Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr.

Metropolitan Police Review and Timeline Discrepancies

The handling of Loveless's letter has prompted an internal review by Scotland Yard. On October 23, 2026, Meghan issued a public statement explaining that the long-running estrangement from her father was driven by a need to protect her family after police shared the allegations with her. "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," the duchess stated, as quoted by CBS News.

However, official police records show a slight timeline discrepancy regarding when the tip arrived. In a public statement reported by bbc.com on October 24, 2026, Scotland Yard confirmed that a review of Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) systems showed the letter was received by the MPS Protection Command in January 2019, rather than 2018. Addressing the dates, a spokesperson for the duchess stated that "any discrepancy of a few months" was "an understandable consequence of that passage of time."

While the Metropolitan Police confirmed the letter raised concerns about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom and was passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness, the force admitted that the details were never forwarded to outside law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, The Independent reported, citing The Times, that the Metropolitan Police failed to act on the tip-off and misplaced its own copy of the original letter, forcing officers to ask the Duchess of Sussex to share the copy she had retained. Scotland Yard confirmed it is currently reviewing its 2019 handling of the matter and considering whether a self-referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is warranted.

Philippine Investigation and Denials by Thomas Markle Sr.

The past correspondence gained renewed urgency in October 2026 after Thomas Markle Jr. told British media and law enforcement that he discovered a cache of child sexual abuse photos and videos at his father's former home in the Philippines earlier this year. According to The Independent, Thomas Markle Jr. reported the findings in July to the FBI Hotline, Pennsylvania state police, and the U.S.-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. He also publicly apologized to Meghan, stating he had "been protecting the wrong person for the past nine years."

Law enforcement agencies in multiple jurisdictions have acknowledged the claims, though the allegations remain unproven. According to bbc.com, Nicholas Ty, Undersecretary for the Philippines Department of Justice, confirmed that an anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation task force in Cebu is actively investigating the matter. Philippines Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla separately told the broadcaster that national police had secured Thomas Markle Sr.'s computer to conduct a digital forensic examination, which is expected to take a week to yield results. In the United States, the FBI confirmed it is aware of the allegations, will support Philippine authorities as appropriate, and will investigate any potential violations of U.S. federal law.

Thomas Markle Sr. has categorically denied the accusations, dismissing the claims as "sick lies" and a "bunch of lies." In interviews with the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday cited by CBS News, Markle stated he had "never downloaded anything like that in my life." While he acknowledged paying for sex during past visits to the Philippines, he insisted he never had sexual contact with anyone under the age of 18, denied possessing child abuse imagery, and vowed to cooperate with investigators.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Meghan Markle say she learned of the claims in 2018 when police cite January 2019?

In her October 23, 2026 statement, Meghan recalled being notified of the letter in 2018, the same year she married Prince Harry. Following a record review, the Metropolitan Police stated the letter was received in January 2019. A spokesperson for the duchess explained that a difference of a few months was a natural result of the passage of time.

Where was Thomas Markle Sr. when the December 2025 letter was delivered?

Media reports differ on the exact hospital location. Sources told the BBC that the letter was delivered while Markle was hospitalized in the Philippines following his leg amputation, whereas CBS News noted that video obtained by the Daily Mail reportedly shows him receiving the letter in a U.S. hospital room in December 2025.

What is the current status of the law enforcement investigations?

London's Metropolitan Police is not investigating Thomas Markle Sr. for the alleged offenses, as the claims involve conduct outside the UK, though the force is reviewing its failure to forward the 2019 letter to other agencies. Authorities in the Philippines are conducting a forensic examination of Markle's computer in Cebu, and the U.S. FBI has stated it will provide support and look into any potential violations of U.S. federal law.