Meghan Markle Reveals 2018 Police Warning About Father's Image Claims

One week. That is the timeframe Philippine interior secretary Jonvic Remulla gave on October 23 for the completion of a full digital forensic examination of a computer belonging to Thomas Markle Sr. The device was secured by national police as part of an investigation into child sexual abuse images found in Cebu.

The deadline follows a statement from the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, who described herself as deeply distressed by the allegations. She spoke through a spokesperson after The Sun reported that her half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, claimed to have discovered a large collection of such images at their father's former home in the Philippines.

Markle Jr, who is 60 years old, told Philippine detectives that he found hundreds, if not thousands, of images on computers and mobile phones stored in four large boxes. The Sun reports that Markle Sr lived in that Cebu residence until returning to the United States in May following a stroke. Markle Sr has denied the accusations, calling them sick lies in an interview with the Daily Mail.

In her statement, Meghan disclosed that the Metropolitan Police shared a letter with her in 2018. The letter was originally sent to the Met’s Royalty and Specialist Protection unit, known as Rasp, and contained troubling allegations against her father. Meghan said she was assured the claims were being investigated. She explained that her decision to limit contact with her father and keep him away from her children was driven by a desire to protect them.

Sources indicated that Meghan did not speak publicly about the letter in 2018 because doing so might have jeopardized a future investigation or exposed her to legal action. It is understood that the Rasp unit passed the letter to her shortly after her wedding. The Metropolitan Police has stated it is making internal inquiries to confirm whether Rasp officers were involved in passing the letter along. The force noted that it has not previously investigated Markle Sr and is not currently doing so.

Markle Sr is currently recovering in a rehabilitation center in Florida. He is learning to walk with a prosthetic limb after his left leg was amputated due to a blood clot. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said he was shocked and hurt by the claims. He stated that he had not possessed the computers since leaving Rosarito, Mexico, with his son in January 2025 to move to the Philippines for a fresh start.

The FBI has also become involved, stating it will support Philippine authorities as appropriate and investigate any related allegations of federal violations of US law. Markle Jr reportedly contacted the agency directly. Meanwhile, Philippine undersecretary Nicholas Ty confirmed that a human trafficking and child sexual exploitation taskforce in Cebu is handling the case.

Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, has defended their father. She accused Markle Jr of making up lies to make money, noting that the claims surfaced days after their father cut off his funds. Samantha alleged that the computers were out of their father's possession for two years, which she said leaves a lot of room for tampering.

The family has been estranged since Markle Sr missed Meghan’s wedding to Prince Harry on health grounds. He has never met his grandchildren, Prince Archie, who is seven, and Princess Lilibet, who is five. Meghan stated her hope that justice will be fully served and that children’s safety remains the priority.