Meghan confronted dad over abuse claims – Details of her final letter
Jennifer Hassan, USA TODAYSun, October 25, 2026 at 2:58 PM UTC
LONDON – Duchess Meghan told her dad, Thomas Markle Sr., that she knew he had abused young girls in a letter severing all ties with him last year, according to a new report.
In the 2025 letter, first reported by The Sun on Oct. 25, Meghan apparently told her father that he would never meet his grandchildren, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5. She also told him that authorities were aware of the claims made against him and vowed he would never hear from her again, the outlet reported.
Thomas Markle, 82, has strongly denied the allegations against him, branding them "sick lies." He told the Daily Mail that he paid for sex in the past but has never had sex with anyone under the age of 18.
Meghan has been estranged from her father since he missed her wedding in 2018. Thomas Markle Sr. was hospitalized in the Philippines when he received his daughter's letter in December 2025, after years of no contact.
At the time, Markle issued public please for his daughter to contact him and Meghan was widely criticized by tabloids for not reaching out to her dad when his left leg had to be amputated.
According to The Sun, Meghan arranged for hospital staff to take the note to her father's bedside, where he was asked to sign a document confirming receipt. He was also videoed accepting the letter so that the duchess knew he had read it, the newspaper reported. At the time, Meghan's representatives slammed the Daily Mail for having a reporter stationed at her father's bedside, which made private contact nearly impossible.
The Sun's report came after Meghan released a statement on Oct. 23 saying that she was first made aware of "disturbing allegations" against her dad in 2018 in a letter from British police. She expressed hope that people would now understand why she cut contact with him.
'Sickening': Meghan speaks out about child sex images investigation into dad
“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," Meghan said, saying that she kept her children away from their maternal grandad "to protect them."
Meghan's representative later clarified to USA TODAY that she received the letter in 2019, not 2018 as originally stated.
What was in the 2019 letter British police passed to Meghan?
Meghan was first made aware of the claims against her father when she was living in Britain with husband Prince Harry.
London's Metropolitan Police received a letter in 2019 that they passed on to the duke and duchess. The letter contained "a number of claims" about alleged offenses outside of Britain and raised concerns about security for the Duchess of Sussex.
The author of the letter requested anonymity, USA TODAY understands.
British police are under scrutiny for not making other law enforcement agencies aware of the claims. Police say they're reviewing their handling of the matter and whether it should be referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
In her statement on Oct. 23, Meghan said that when she received the information regarding the "disturbing" allegations against her father, she was "given assurance that these were being investigated."
In the Philippines — where Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., claims he uncovered a trove of sex abuse images at the elder Markle's house — anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation experts are investigating the allegations, officials told Reuters.
In the U.S., where Markle now resides, the FBI says it is assisting authorities overseas.
“The FBI is aware of the allegations and will provide support, as appropriate, to the Philippine authorities. We will also investigate any related allegations of federal violations of U.S. law,” the agency said in a statement to USA TODAY.
What are the allegations against Thomas Markle Sr.?
According to The Sun, Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Jr., found the alleged child sex abuse images and videos inside his dad's home in Cebu, Philippines. The images were found on a cellphone and on laptops, which Thomas Jr. discovered inside storage boxes at the address after his father had returned to Florida.
Meghan and her dad were once close. Here's how their relationship fell apart
"When I found this material, I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad," Thomas Jr. told the outlet. He also apologized to Meghan for siding with Markle amid her estrangement from her father.
Among the alleged stash of images were videos of victims appearing in sex acts, according to the Sun; some appeared to be no older than 10 or 11 years old.
In his interview with the Mail on Oct. 25, the elder Markle said that any child abuse images found on his devices were "planted" to destroy his reputation before he dies. He also said he would take a lie detector test to prove his innocence.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meghan confronted dad over abuse claims – Details of her final letter
Source: Entertainment
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