Royal family informed of 2019 child abuse allegation against Thomas Markle Sr.

Prince William and Kate Middleton were reportedly notified that police had passed a 2019 letter to the royal household alleging child sexual abuse by Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of Meghan Markle. A source close to the family said it would have been "unthinkable" for the Palace not to have been made aware of the claim, which had previously been reported as written by Thomas Sr.'s late ex-wife, Roslyn Loveless.

"It was the police’s duty to make the Palace aware of the claims, and they will have done so," the source said.

Meghan Markle, who received a similar letter in 2018, said she was "deeply distressed" by the allegations and that they contributed to her estrangement from her father. London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed the letter was forwarded to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s office in January 2019 but was not sent to other law-enforcement agencies.

Thomas Markle Sr., 82, is under investigation by the Cebu City Police in the Philippines after his son, Thomas Markle Jr., reported finding child sexual-abuse images in boxes stored among family items. The senior Markle has denied the accusations, calling them "sick lies" and expressing shock and upset at the claims. Additional material alleged to depict child sexual abuse was reported by reporters to have been found in a storage unit near his former home in Mexico and was referred to the FBI.

Royal reporter Andrea Caamano told Page Six she did not anticipate the royal family becoming involved, noting that relations remain complicated and the Palace is unlikely to intervene in matters concerning Meghan’s father.