The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, ended contact with her father, Thomas Markle, last year after sending him a letter referring to allegations of child sexual abuse against him, the BBC has reported.

Sources close to Meghan said the letter warned her 82-year-old father that he would never meet her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and that she would not contact him again.

The letter was reportedly sent in 2025 while Thomas Markle was receiving treatment in a hospital in the Philippines following the amputation of his leg.

Meghan has been estranged from her father since 2018, when he withdrew from attending her wedding to Prince Harry, citing ill health.

The allegations reportedly concern images and videos of child sexual abuse said to have been discovered at Thomas Markle’s former residence in the Philippines.

According to the BBC, Meghan was informed by UK police in 2019 about claims involving her father.

Thomas Markle has denied sexually abusing children and possessing child sexual abuse images. In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, he acknowledged paying for sex in the Philippines but rejected allegations that he had sex with underage girls.

The allegations have not been established in court.

Philippine officials have confirmed that the country’s anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation task force is investigating the allegations.

Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla separately said national police had secured Thomas Markle’s computer for a digital forensic examination.

Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, reportedly told police that he discovered images and videos among belongings at his father’s former home in the Philippines. He is also understood to have contacted the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in July.

The FBI has confirmed that it is aware of the allegations.

The Metropolitan Police in London confirmed on Saturday that it received a letter containing several claims relating to Thomas Markle in 2019.

The force said it shared the letter with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the time but did not forward its contents to other law enforcement agencies.

The Metropolitan Police is now reviewing how the matter was handled.

In a statement released on Friday, Meghan acknowledged the existence of the letter and described its contents as “disturbing allegations”.

“I am deeply distressed,” she said, adding that her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed.

She also said the allegations helped explain why she had largely cut off contact with her father and did not allow him to have contact with her children.

Thomas Markle, a former television lighting director, is Meghan’s only daughter’s father; Meghan was raised by him and her mother, Doria Ragland.

Their relationship deteriorated before Meghan’s marriage to Prince Harry in 2018. He did not attend the royal wedding, and the pair have remained estranged since then.

Thomas Markle moved to the Philippines last year after suffering a series of strokes. He is reportedly now living in a rehabilitation centre in Florida, where he is learning to walk again following the amputation of his leg.

The current investigation has brought renewed attention to the family’s long-running estrangement. Authorities have yet to announce any final findings on the allegations.