The Duchess of Sussex has broken years of silence over her estrangement from Thomas Markle. He denies the allegations that prompted her statement, and police in the Philippines are examining a computer.
The Duchess of Sussex has said that the distance she kept from her father, and her decision not to let him have contact with her children, was for one reason: “to protect them”. Her statement follows reports that Thomas Markle Snr is being investigated in the Philippines over allegations made by his son, Thomas Markle Jr. Mr Markle Snr, 82, strongly denies them. No charges have been reported, and the allegations are unproven.
What Meghan said
“I hope it can now be understood,” she wrote. “That, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them.”
She said she was told of the allegations in 2018. The source understands this was after her marriage to Prince Harry in May that year. Since then there has been very limited contact between them. She wrote to him after he had surgery in the Philippines late last year.
A Sussex spokesperson reportedly denied that the allegations influenced the couple’s move back to Britain in August 2026, according to Punch.
Years of unanswered questions
By the time her engagement was announced in 2017, a once-close relationship had cooled, according to the source. Mr Markle had moved to Mexico after retiring in the US. Within weeks of the wedding announcement, he began giving comments to media outlets, instead of accepting the silence the Palace expected. He withdrew from the wedding days beforehand as he underwent heart surgery.
He then gave frequent interviews, complaining that he had no contact with his daughter, son-in-law or grandchildren. He said she barely called as he had heart surgery, while the duchess’s people briefed that she had. Meghan offered no comment or explanation for cutting contact. Theories filled the gap, among them that she was embarrassed by him or wanted to deny him material to recycle. The source says these became part of the case against her, and that it “must have stung”.
The source also writes that she “claimed vindication” without using the word, and that her supporters will see vindication in the allegations. That is the writer’s interpretation. Many people have made up their minds about her, and the source says it is hard to tell how far her statement changes perceptions.
The investigations
The research notes set out the latest developments:
- Metropolitan Police: Scotland Yard is making internal inquiries to establish whether officers from its Royalty and Specialist Protection command passed a 2018 letter about Mr Markle to Meghan, The Guardian reports. The Met said it has not previously investigated Mr Markle and is not investigating him now. Sky News understands that information of this kind could be passed to members of the Royal Family as a security matter. That is a possible explanation and not a confirmed account.
- Philippines: Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed police have secured a computer associated with Mr Markle Snr for digital forensic examination, and said results could take about a week, The Guardian reports. Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Ty confirmed a specialist task force in Cebu is handling the case, according to Reuters.
- FBI: The agency confirmed it is aware of the claims and is prepared to help Philippine investigators, and said it would look at possible violations of US law, Reuters reports. That is not a completed investigation, or any charge or finding.
CNN reports it is unclear which allegations the 2018 letter described, so it has not been established that they match the 2026 claims. The Guardian reports that sources close to Meghan say she could not speak publicly for years, as she feared jeopardising a future investigation or exposing herself to legal action.
Mr Markle’s denial
In an interview with the Daily Mail, reported by Entertainment Weekly, Mr Markle said from a rehabilitation centre in Florida: “I could never do what I’m being accused of.” He called the allegations lies and said he was distressed by his son’s actions. According to Oxygen, he said he welcomed an investigation and had never downloaded the material described. He alleged that his son withheld his computers after they left Mexico, and said they were shipped to the Philippines in January 2025. He said he did not know who might have accessed them. These claims have not been verified. His daughter Samantha Markle has also strongly denied the allegations.
What is not known
It has not been publicly established who wrote the 2018 letter or what it said, whether the 2018 allegations were referred to a law enforcement agency outside Britain, or why Meghan says she was told the matter was being investigated when the Met says it was not. It is not known whether forensic examination can show who accessed or downloaded any files, whether any material has been authenticated, or whether charges will follow.
