Meghan Markle's Hospital Letter to Father Thomas Revealed as Philippines Abuse Image Probe Intensifies

LONDON — Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, warned her estranged father, Thomas Markle Sr., in a letter delivered to his hospital room late last year that she knew of abuse allegations against him and that he would never meet her children, according to a report by the BBC.

The disclosure comes as police in the Philippines investigate allegations that the 82-year-old possessed child sexual abuse material at his former home in Cebu. Markle has denied the allegations.

The hospital letter

The BBC reported that Meghan sent the letter to her father when he was hospitalized in December 2025. A video recently circulated in the media shows Markle receiving the letter in his hospital room.

According to the BBC, Meghan wrote that she and authorities were aware of allegations that he had abused young girls, and told him he would never meet her and Prince Harry's children, Archie and Lilibet.

The allegations described in the letter have not been tested in court, and The Associated Press has not independently confirmed the letter's contents.

Asked about the letter, Markle told Britain's Mail on Sunday that he did not remember what it said. But he added that if Meghan says that is what she wrote, she is probably right.

Investigation in the Philippines

The letter has drawn new attention amid a criminal investigation in the Philippines.

The allegations were first reported by British tabloid The Sun, which said Markle's son, Thomas Markle Jr., informed police after he said he found a large number of child sexual abuse images in boxes at his father's home.

Philippine authorities have confirmed the investigation. A spokesperson for the Philippine National Police said the force was examining the reported discovery of suspected child sexual abuse and exploitation materials and other personal belongings allegedly linked to Markle.

The police's Women and Children Protection Center said its field unit in the Visayas region received four boxes of electronic devices from Markle Jr., which were voluntarily surrendered and placed in police custody. Police in Cebu City have since obtained a search warrant to examine the devices, the BBC reported.

Graeme June Y. Elmido, the regional prosecutor in Cebu, told ITV News that Markle Jr. appeared "really concerned" by what he had seen and asked police to investigate.

The Philippines Justice Department's anti-trafficking and online child exploitation task force is also investigating, according to the country's news agency. The FBI said it is aware of the allegations.

Markle arrived in Cebu in January 2025 and left the Philippines in May 2026. He has since traveled to the United States for medical treatment, according to the Philippine news agency.

Markle denies allegations

Markle has strongly denied wrongdoing, calling the allegations "sick lies" in a statement to the Daily Mail.

"I have never downloaded anything like that in my life," he was quoted as telling the newspaper.

Investigators must still establish the nature and origin of the files and determine who owned the devices. Markle has not been charged with any crime.

Meghan's statement

Meghan addressed the allegations publicly on Oct. 23, after the reports emerged. She said she was "deeply distressed at the news that has come to light" and that her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed.

She also revealed that years earlier, a letter sent to London's Metropolitan Police and its Royalty and Specialist Protection unit had been shared with her. Meghan said the letter contained "troubling and disturbing allegations" against her father and that she was assured they were being investigated.

Meghan said her distance from her father, and her decision not to let him see her children, "was for one reason: to protect them." She suggested that some media coverage over the years had distorted her reasons for the estrangement.

Questions over British police handling

The revelations have raised questions about how British authorities handled the earlier allegations.

Meghan initially said the letter was sent to police in 2018, but subsequent reports indicated it was received in 2019. The BBC reported that the letter was written by Markle's first wife, Roslyn Loveless.

The details of the allegations in that letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies. The Metropolitan Police is understood not to have investigated Markle and is not currently investigating him.

According to The Sun on Sunday, Meghan was advised after learning of the allegations that speaking publicly could jeopardize any potential legal case.

Family divisions

The case has exposed deep divisions within the Markle family.

Markle Jr. told The Sun he would not speak to his father again unless called to give evidence against him.

Meghan's half-sister, Samantha Markle, has defended their father, telling the Daily Mail there was no merit in her brother's allegations. She has also disputed the contents of the letter attributed to her mother, saying her mother never mentioned such allegations to her.

A long estrangement

Meghan and her father have been estranged since shortly before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. Markle, a former Hollywood lighting director, was set to walk her down the aisle at Windsor Castle but withdrew after the British press reported he had staged paparazzi photos. King Charles, then Prince Charles, walked Meghan down the aisle instead.

Over the years, Markle has spoken frequently to the media, criticizing his daughter and Harry and saying he wanted to see his grandchildren.

Meghan and Harry, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020, live in California with their two children.

Royal reaction

Buckingham Palace has not publicly commented on the allegations. One royal commentator told Fox News the palace was blindsided by the revelations.

A friend of Meghan told reporters there was a sense of relief that the allegations were coming to light and that Meghan hopes a proper investigation can take place.

The investigation in the Philippines is expected to move forward now that police have obtained a warrant to examine the devices.

Authorities have not said when the forensic review will be completed or whether charges will be filed. Any findings could also prompt further scrutiny of how earlier allegations were handled in Britain.

The Philippines has become a focus of international efforts to combat online child sexual exploitation, and police there have handled many similar cases.