Letter alleging claims about Meghan's father written by his ex-wife, BBC reports
The correspondence, sent to the Metropolitan Police in 2019, reportedly details disturbing allegations concerning Thomas Markle.
A letter containing a number of claims about the Duchess of Sussex's father was written by his late ex-wife, Roslyn Loveless, the BBC has learned. The Metropolitan Police confirmed in 2019 they received a letter pertaining to Thomas Markle and shared it with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the time.
Meghan confirmed on Friday that she had been informed of "disturbing allegations" concerning her estranged father. She stated in a message released on Friday that she was "deeply distressed" and that her "thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed."
Reports indicate that images of child sexual abuse were allegedly found in Markle's former home in the Philippines. Markle, who resides in the U.S., has denied all such allegations.
Loveless, who has since passed away, was the mother of Meghan's half-siblings Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr. She divorced Thomas Markle in 1975, prior to his 1979 marriage to Doria Ragland, Meghan's mother. Meghan was born in 1981.
Meghan has been estranged from her father since 2018. The BBC understands that she ceased contact with him last year, informing him that she and authorities were aware he had allegedly abused young girls. Sources close to the duchess indicated that Meghan warned Markle in a letter, sent while he was hospitalized in the Philippines after a leg amputation, that he would not meet his grandchildren.
Meghan's half-brother claimed to The Sun on Friday that he discovered a stash of images belonging to his father at his former Philippines residence. He reportedly told police he found child abuse videos and pictures among the items. He also apologized to Meghan for previously supporting her father during their long estrangement, stating he had "been protecting the wrong person for the past nine years."
It is understood that her half-brother contacted the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) about the images in July. The FBI has confirmed it is aware of the allegations.
Officials in the Philippines confirmed to the BBC on Friday that the country's anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation task force is investigating the matter. Thomas Markle gave an interview to the Mail on Sunday acknowledging past payments for sex in the Philippines but denied possessing child abuse images or sleeping with underage girls.
The Metropolitan Police stated they did not pass the contents of the letter shared with the Sussexes to other law enforcement agencies and are now reviewing their handling of the situation. Markle reportedly moved to the Philippines last year following a series of strokes and is said to be in a Florida rehabilitation center recovering from his leg amputation.