Meghan Markle Advised Against Publicizing Father's Alleged Child Sex Abuse Claims
Metropolitan Police bodyguards reportedly told the Duchess of Sussex not to go public with allegations against Thomas Markle in 2019, as authorities investigate child pornography seized from his storage unit.
Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, wanted to publicly address allegations of child sex abuse against her father, Thomas Markle, in 2019. However, Metropolitan Police royal bodyguards advised her against it, according to reports.
Scotland Yard confirmed in January 2019 that it had provided Meghan with a letter containing these allegations against her father, who was then 82. The letter, written by Thomas Markle's first wife Roslyn Loveless before her death in 2024, accused him of child sex abuse and claimed he frequented the Philippines and Thailand because he believed "12-year-olds are legal there." The Metropolitan Police's royal protection team assessed the letter before passing it to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's office at Kensington Palace for their awareness.
Sources indicate that Meghan found the claims "troubling and disturbing" and wished to speak out. However, one of her Royalty and Specialist Protection [RaSP] bodyguards reportedly told her to "leave it with us, we'll investigate it." This officer also allegedly advised Meghan against going public, as she was already facing criticism for cutting ties with her father without explanation.
At the time, many close advisors to the Sussexes at Kensington Palace, including former aide Samantha Cohen and communications secretary Jason Knauf, were reportedly unaware of the letter and its contents. Aides close to Prince Charles, the then Prince of Wales, are also believed to have been kept in the dark.
According to a source within the Met, the RaSP officers who assessed the 2019 letter may have failed to grasp the seriousness of the allegations and did not escalate the matter further. The force has since referred itself to the police watchdog for its "failure to pass on allegations of serious offending... to relevant overseas authorities at the time."
This situation has developed as police in Mexico, alerted by the Daily Mail, seized child pornography from a storage unit rented by Thomas Markle. Investigators found materials including magazines depicting child sexual abuse and photographs of naked young Asian females. The search warrant authorized investigators to look for "evidence consisting of child sexual abuse material" and "the alleged commission of the crime of human trafficking in its aggravated form." The unit contained a computer, thumb drives, VHS tapes, and magazines.
Thomas Markle, 82, who has had a leg amputated and been diagnosed with a cognitive illness, denies the allegations. He reportedly fell behind on rent for the storage unit two years ago and moved to the Philippines without emptying it. In addition to the materials in Mexico, his son Thomas Markle Jr. also reportedly found child sex images in boxes his father had shipped to the Philippines.
Meghan stated in a release last week that she was "deeply distressed" by the news and that her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed. She reiterated that any distance from her father was to protect her children and that she trusted authorities were doing the same for other families. She expressed hope that "justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children."