Meghan Markle sent father 2025 letter on abuse claims

Prince Harry's wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, wrote to her father in December 2025 to address long-standing child sexual abuse allegations against him. The letter was delivered to Thomas Markle Sr. while he was hospitalized in the United States.

Markle, 82, accepted the envelope in his hospital room, according to video obtained by the Daily Mail. In the letter, the Duchess told her father that she and authorities knew he had abused young girls. She also informed him that he would never meet their sons Archie and Lilibet.

The confrontation occurred six years after Meghan first learned of the claims. In a statement released last week, she said the Metropolitan Police shared a letter with her in 2018. That document laid out troubling allegations against her father. She said she was given assurances that the claims were being investigated.

Based on that 2018 information, Meghan and Harry decided to cut off contact between Markle and their children. Meghan stated that this distance was for one reason: to protect them. She added that the decision was made despite media distortions over the years.

Police in the Philippines confirmed last week that they are investigating Markle. The probe concerns his alleged possession of a large stash of child sexual abuse photos and videos. His son, Thomas Markle Jr., handed the materials to authorities.

Markle has denied the claims. In a Sunday article by the Daily Mail, he said he did not remember what was in his daughter's letter. He added that if Meghan says that is what she wrote, she is probably right. On Friday, he told the tabloid he had never downloaded such files in his life. He called the allegations sick lies.

The Daily Mail also reported that Markle said he had paid for sex in the Philippines. He reiterated that he never had sex with anyone under the age of 18. He vowed to cooperate with authorities in the Philippines.

The Sun reported that the Metropolitan Police became aware of claims against Markle in 2019. These included alleged sexual abuse of a child. The police passed these claims to the Duchess of Sussex's office at that time.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said last week that officers from the Royalty and Specialist Protection Command were involved in passing on a letter in 2018. The police are currently undertaking internal enquiries to confirm this. London police are not currently investigating Markle.

It is unclear what specific allegations were included in the 2018 letter shared with Meghan. It is also unclear exactly which claims she was referring to when she wrote to her father last year.

Roya Nikkhah, a royal editor for The Sunday Times, told CBS News on Monday that the revelations were likely to garner new public sympathy for the Duchess. She described the situation as an ordeal and an extraordinary thing to learn about one's own father. Nikkhah noted that British public sentiment has previously focused on how Harry and Meghan left the royal family. She said the public is likely to have sympathy for what has happened regarding her father, though it may not change views on their departure.