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Meghan Markle had already been informed of concerning allegations against her father, Thomas Markle, as early as 2018, years before the recent accusations regarding the alleged possession of child sexual abuse material came to light.
The Duchess of Sussex confirmed that she received a letter with allegations against him and that she was assured they were being investigated. Now, new information about an alleged final letter she sent him a few years ago has brought renewed scrutiny to what she knew and the reasons she decided to keep him away from her children. Here is what is known.
According to the British newspaper The Sun, Meghan, 45, wrote to Thomas Markle, 82, while he was hospitalized in the Philippines after undergoing a leg amputation due to a blood clot.
According to the publication, in said letter, she reportedly told him that she was aware of the serious allegations and would never allow him to meet his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The media outlet also asserted that Meghan considered this to be the final message he would receive from her.
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The delivery of the letter was reportedly organized directly with the hospital, whose staff allegedly asked Thomas Markle to sign a document to confirm he had received it.
The Sun maintains that the message referenced the allegations against him and Meghan's decision to prevent any contact with his grandchildren. However, the content of the supposed letter has not been independently made public, so the details are based on what has been reported by the British outlet.
The controversy exploded after Thomas Markle was named in an investigation for the alleged possession of child sexual abuse material. According to The Sun, his son Thomas Markle Jr. reportedly found illegal images and videos on one of his father's old cell phones and reported the discovery to various U.S. authorities.
The outlet also reported that the material was found in a home belonging to Thomas Markle in Cebu, Philippines, where he apparently maintains his official residence. The Duchess's father has denied the allegations.
Meghan reacted publicly to the allegations against her father shortly after they surfaced, stating she was “deeply distressed” by the news. In a statement shared with various media outlets, she expressed that her thoughts were with any child who might have been harmed.
Likewise, she explained that her estrangement from her father and her decision not to allow him near the royals Archie and Lilibet answered to one reason: protecting her children. The statement reignited the debate about how much she knew regarding her father's illegal practices and how long she had kept her distance from her paternal family.
Meghan herself recalled that in 2018 she received a letter with concerning allegations against her father. As she explained, that document was brought to her after her wedding to Prince Harry, held in May of that year, and she was assured that the claims were being investigated.
A source previously cited by People noted that Meghan had received the information after the wedding and that she was concerned that speaking publicly about uncorroborated allegations could affect a potential investigation or have legal consequences.
The London Metropolitan Police confirmed having received a letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle in January 2019 and that it subsequently forwarded it to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The institution acknowledged that the details of the allegations were not shared with other law enforcement agencies and announced an internal review to determine how the matter was handled.
At the same time, the FBI reported that it is aware of the allegations and will provide support to Philippine authorities, in addition to investigating any potential violation of U.S. federal law.
[Publicidad]