Meghan Markle Says a 2018 Warning About Her Estranged Father Explains Why She Kept Him From Her Children as Philippine Authorities Investigate New Allegations

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has said she was shown a letter containing troubling allegations about her father in 2018, years before new claims prompted an investigation in the Philippines. Her statement, covered in the original BuzzFeed report, followed reports that Thomas Markle Sr. was being investigated over the alleged possession of child sexual abuse material. Meghan described herself as deeply distressed and expressed concern for any children who may have been harmed.

However, she did not publicly disclose the contents of the earlier letter or establish that it concerned the same allegations now under investigation. Her statement connected the latest developments to a warning she said she had received years earlier, raising questions about how that information was handled. Meanwhile, Thomas Markle has denied the accusations, and the claims against him remain unproven.

The new allegations surfaced in a report about a former home in Cebu

The latest claims entered public view through a report published by The Sun on Thursday, October 22, 2026. According to the newspaper’s report, Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan’s half-brother, contacted authorities after allegedly discovering child sexual abuse images among materials left at his father’s former home in Cebu, Philippines. The report described boxes of alleged material and said the discovery had been brought to the attention of law enforcement.

The claims have not been established through a public judicial finding or a completed investigation. Thomas Markle has denied possessing the material described in the reports. It is therefore important to distinguish between the allegations that prompted the case and facts that authorities have independently confirmed.

Philippine officials confirmed an active investigation

The situation developed beyond media reporting when a senior Philippine official confirmed that authorities were investigating the allegations. Nicholas Ty, an undersecretary at the country’s Department of Justice, told Reuters on October 23 that the department’s anti-trafficking and online sexual abuse and exploitation of children task force in Cebu was investigating the matter.

Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla also told Reuters that Thomas Markle Jr. had provided evidence to police, including a laptop. Officials did not publicly announce that the reported material had been authenticated or that the allegations had been proven. Their statements confirmed that an inquiry was underway, not that investigators had reached a conclusion about Thomas Markle’s guilt or innocence.

The reported discovery has not been fully established in public

Details about the alleged evidence have largely emerged through news reports describing what Thomas Markle Jr. said he found at his father’s former residence. Although Philippine authorities have confirmed an investigation, they have not publicly released forensic findings or a comprehensive account of the items being examined. The descriptions appearing in news reports should not be treated as though every detail has already been verified by investigators.

That leaves an important distinction between the reported discovery and what authorities may ultimately establish. The fact that a person reports finding material does not, by itself, establish who owned it, who had access to it, or whether every description of the material is accurate. Those questions remain unresolved in the public information released so far.

Thomas Markle has denied possessing the alleged material

Thomas Markle has rejected the accusations against him. In comments reported by Sky News, he described the allegations as “sick lies” and said he could never do what he was accused of doing. His denial directly contradicts the claims attributed to his son.

The allegation and the denial are both central to understanding the case as it currently stands. Philippine authorities have confirmed that a task force is investigating, but the public reporting has not established that the alleged material proves wrongdoing by Thomas Markle. No public investigative conclusion substantiating the accusations had been announced as of October 24, 2026.

Meghan says a letter containing allegations reached her in 2018

Meghan’s account of the earlier warning provides a separate timeline that predates the latest reports by approximately eight years. In a statement reported by CBS News, she said a letter had been sent to the Metropolitan Police and its Royalty and Specialist Protection unit in 2018. She said the letter was subsequently shared with her and contained disturbing allegations against her father.

Meghan also said she had been assured that the allegations were being investigated. Her statement did not publish the letter or identify its author. Although her account establishes what she says she was told, the letter’s full contents, circumstances and handling have not been publicly disclosed.

The Metropolitan Police is examining how the letter was handled

The UK’s Metropolitan Police has separately addressed the reports about the 2018 correspondence. According to The Independent, the force said it was aware of reports that officers from its Royalty and Specialist Protection Command had been involved in passing the letter to Meghan. It said internal inquiries were underway to establish whether that had occurred.

The Metropolitan Police’s stated role differs from the investigation in the Philippines. The UK force is checking the handling of the earlier letter, rather than conducting an investigation into Thomas Markle himself over the current allegations. The outcome of its internal inquiries had not been announced in the reporting available on October 24.

The relationship between the 2018 warning and the current allegations remains unclear

One of the most significant unanswered questions is whether the letter Meghan received in 2018 concerned the same allegations now being examined by Philippine authorities. Public reports have not disclosed enough information about the letter to establish that connection. Meghan described its contents as troubling, but she did not publicly identify the specific allegations it contained.

It would therefore be inaccurate to state that the 2018 correspondence specifically referred to the material cited in the latest reports. It would also be premature to claim that British authorities investigated the exact allegations now under consideration and either confirmed or disproved them at that time. The available information does not establish either conclusion.

Meghan says keeping her father away from her children was about their safety

Meghan’s statement also addressed a longstanding question surrounding her estrangement from her father. She said her decision not to allow Thomas Markle contact with her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was made to protect them. She added that she had trusted authorities to protect other families as well.

Her explanation was presented as the reason for a family boundary that had existed for years, rather than as an announcement of a new decision. She also expressed hope that justice would be served and that the safety of children would remain the priority. While her statement explains her stated reasoning, it does not independently establish the truth of the allegations currently being investigated.

The family estrangement dates back to the period before Meghan’s 2018 wedding

The distance between Meghan and her father became public around the time of her marriage to Prince Harry in May 2018. Thomas Markle did not attend the wedding after saying he could not do so because of ill health, following controversy surrounding staged paparazzi photographs. Harry’s father, then Prince Charles, walked Meghan down the aisle.

ABC News recounted that history while reporting on the latest allegations and Meghan’s response. The estrangement has remained part of public coverage of the family for years, but the private details of their relationship cannot be fully established from that coverage alone. The new investigation has brought the family history back into focus without resolving every question about how their relationship broke down.

The FBI has said it may assist Philippine authorities

The investigation has also drawn the attention of US federal authorities. In a statement reported by Variety, the FBI said it was aware of the allegations and would provide assistance to Philippine authorities as appropriate. The bureau also said it would investigate any related allegations involving possible violations of US federal law, according to Variety’s coverage.

That statement describes potential cooperation rather than a completed FBI investigation. The bureau did not announce that it had independently verified the allegations or reached a conclusion about Thomas Markle. Philippine officials, meanwhile, have specifically confirmed that their task force in Cebu is investigating the matter.

Thomas Markle was believed to have returned to the United States

Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Thomas Markle was believed to have returned to the United States after living in Cebu. Separate reporting also indicated that he had traveled to the US for medical treatment. Those details establish his reported whereabouts at the time of the allegations, although officials have not publicly explained whether his location will affect the investigation’s timeline.

The reports have not provided a detailed schedule for further investigative developments. Nor have authorities announced that the inquiry has been completed or that a final assessment of the reported material has been made. His reported return to the United States does not change the fact that the Philippine investigation remains unresolved in the public record.

Several important questions remain unanswered

The investigation still leaves questions about the alleged material, the evidence reportedly handed to police, and what investigators will ultimately establish. British authorities also have yet to publicly resolve their internal inquiries into the handling of the letter Meghan says she received in 2018. These are separate matters, and the available reports do not provide final answers to either.

For now, the confirmed developments are limited but significant: Philippine authorities say they are investigating, Thomas Markle denies the allegations, Meghan says she was informed of troubling allegations in 2018, and the Metropolitan Police is examining how the earlier letter was handled. None of these developments amounts to a public finding of guilt or establishes that the 2018 letter referred to the exact allegations now under investigation. The next substantive development will depend on what authorities establish and disclose through their inquiries.