Prince Harry once said he felt responsible for Meghan Markle losing her relationship with her father. Now the Duchess of Sussex has described a warning she says she received years before that account appeared in the couple’s Netflix documentary.
Meghan, 45, issued her statement on Friday, October 23, after reports that Philippine authorities were investigating allegations that Thomas Markle Sr. possessed child sexual abuse material. The 82-year-old strongly denies the accusations, calling them “sick lies” in an interview with the Daily Mail.
In the statement about her father, Meghan said a letter containing troubling allegations had been shared with her in 2018. She said she had been assured authorities were examining them.
Thomas has never met the couple’s children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. They were born in 2019 and 2021, after the period Meghan described.
Harry Said He “Shouldered” the Loss of Meghan’s Father
In the third episode of Harry & Meghan, released in December 2022, Harry spoke about the family rupture surrounding their wedding. His explanation centered on what had happened after his relationship with Meghan attracted international attention.
“I shouldered that because if Meg was not with me, then her dad would still be her dad,” he said, according to The Independent’s contemporary coverage.
The episode revisited Thomas’s staged paparazzi photographs and Meghan’s efforts to reach him before the ceremony. She recalled learning through the couple’s communications team that a story about the photographs was about to appear, then struggling to establish contact as reports of his hospitalization emerged.
Thomas did not attend the May 19, 2018 wedding, citing health problems. Charles, then the Prince of Wales, accompanied Meghan down part of the aisle. According to Sky News, the warning letter was shared with her during the summer, after the marriage.
Meghan Says Keeping Her Children Apart From Thomas Was Protective
The Duchess of Sussex has said she was informed by police in 2018 about “disturbing allegations” against her estranged father.
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) October 23, 2026
In her statement to Sky News, Meghan identified the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection as recipients of the letter. She did not name its author or the person who subsequently showed it to her.
She described herself as “deeply distressed” by the current accusations and expressed concern for any children who might have been harmed. Addressing years of commentary about her estrangement, she said her decision to prevent contact with her children had been made “to protect them.”
A source familiar with the situation told PEOPLE that the allegations were unsubstantiated at the time and that Meghan had been advised public discussion could jeopardize a potential investigation. The source also said she was concerned about the legal implications of repeating unproven claims.
The Met Is Checking How the Letter Was Handled
The Metropolitan Police said it was making internal inquiries to establish whether officers from its Royalty and Specialist Protection Command had been involved in passing on the document. That handoff had not been confirmed in the force’s public response.
The Independent reported that the Met was not investigating Thomas. Later on Friday, The Sun reported that it had seen a copy addressed to the Met’s Fixated Threat Assessment Centre. Police had not publicly confirmed the document’s authenticity.
Philippine Officials Confirm an Inquiry Into the Current Allegations
Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., told The Sun he had discovered suspected abuse material among belongings at their father’s former home in Cebu. His claims about its ownership and contents remain allegations.
Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty confirmed to Reuters that a task force addressing trafficking and online child exploitation was investigating. Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla separately told the agency that Thomas Jr. had supplied police with a laptop and that his father was believed to have returned to the United States.
The FBI said it was aware of the accusations and would assist Philippine authorities as appropriate. It also said it would investigate related allegations involving possible violations of U.S. federal law, without announcing charges or findings.
Meghan’s Handwritten Letter to Her Father Was a Different Document
The newly discussed police correspondence is separate from the five-page letter Meghan wrote directly to Thomas after the wedding. That personal note became the subject of her privacy and copyright case against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline.
The Court of Appeal’s official judgment records that she sent it on August 27, 2018. It concerned their relationship, his dealings with the press and her attempts to contact him. The newspaper published substantial extracts the following February.
Meghan obtained summary judgment on her privacy claim in February 2021. A remaining copyright ownership issue was resolved that May, and the Court of Appeal dismissed the publisher’s appeals in December.
She Later Sent Correspondence During Her Father’s Hospitalization
The estrangement did not prevent a later effort to contact Thomas when reports emerged that he had undergone an emergency leg amputation in the Philippines.
On December 5, 2025, Meghan’s spokesperson confirmed she had reached out. Five days later, Reuters reported that trusted intermediaries had helped deliver her correspondence. Her representative confirmed that the letter had reached him.