Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle has long faced scrutiny over her estrangement from her father, Thomas Markle Sr, with their fractured relationship attracting widespread attention following her marriage to Prince Harry.
The pair have been estranged for years, with their relationship thrust into the spotlight in 2018 when Markle Sr failed to attend Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
He pulled out shortly before the ceremony after suffering a heart attack, prompting then-Prince Charles, now King Charles, to step in and walk his future daughter-in-law down the aisle.
It is understood Meghan has not spoken to her father in the eight years since the wedding.
On October 23, fresh controversy emerged when shocking allegations surfaced that child sexual abuse material had allegedly been found at Markle Sr’s former home in the Philippines.
The alleged indecent images were reportedly discovered by Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, who subsequently alerted detectives.
Markle Sr has denied the claims, telling the Daily Mail they were “sick lies”, while his other daughter, Samantha Markle, also dismissed the allegations, saying “there is no merit to these disgusting allegations”.
Shortly after the claims emerged, the Duchess of Sussex released a statement saying she was “deeply distressed” by the allegations.
She also addressed why her children, Archie and Lilibet, had never met their grandfather, saying it was to “protect them”.
Meghan further revealed she had been aware of the allegations against her father since 2018, when a letter raising the concerns was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection.
Here, we break down the timeline of events surrounding the duchess and her father’s estrangement, and the latest allegations that have brought their relationship back into the spotlight.
A timeline of Meghan Markle’s relationship with her father
Meghan’s mum marries Markle Sr
Markle Sr’s first wife was Roslyn Loveless and they had two children together, Samantha and Thomas Jr.
Following their divorce in 1975, Markle Sr married Doria Ragland. In 1981, they welcomed their daughter Meghan before their divorce in 1987.
When Prince Harry and Meghan announced their engagement in 1997, her parents issued a statement via Kensington Palace.
“We are incredibly happy for Meghan and Harry. Our daughter has always been a kind and loving person,” the statement said.
“To see her union with Harry, who shares the same qualities, is a source of great joy for us as parents. We wish them a lifetime of happiness and are very excited for their future together.”
Markle Sr is a no-show at royal wedding
Just days before Meghan and Harry’s big day, a statement was released on her behalf by Buckingham Palace to confirm Markle Sr would not be attending the royal wedding.
“Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding,” Meghan said via the statement.
“I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.
“I would like to thank everyone who has offered generous messages of support. Please know how much Harry and I look forward to sharing our special day with you on Saturday.”
The reclusive former TV lighting director had been due to walk his daughter down the aisle but was in Mexico at the time, recovering after undergoing heart surgery.
Markle Sr was also caught up in controversy after allegedly being caught staging photographs with the paparazzi.
Markle Sr claims he’s been ‘frozen out’
Following the wedding, Markle Sr conducted a series of media interviews, claiming his decision to speak out following the wedding had led to Meghan distancing herself from him.
“I was silent for a full year and the press beat me up every day saying I was a hermit hiding in Mexico, so I gave my story,” Markle Sr said during a July 2018 interview with TMZ.
“Apparently that interview put the royal family in their silence mode, so I gave another interview to break the silence. All they have to do is speak to me.”
In another interview with Good Morning Britain in December 2018, Meghan’s father claimed he was receiving the silent treatment from the royal family.
“I love you very much, you’re my daughter and I would really like to hear from you. Whatever differences we have, we should be able to work them out,” Markle Sr said.
“I’ve been trying to reach out for several weeks. Every day I try to text her, I just haven’t received any comment back.
“I just keep asking her to respond back to me and I haven’t got any response back. I’ve sent letters as well.”
Meghan’s personal letter published by the Mail on Sunday
In 2019, the Mail on Sunday published extracts from a five-page handwritten letter by Meghan to her father, which urged him to stop talking to the media.
The Times claimed two senior members of the royal family had advised Meghan to write the letter.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sued the Mail on Sunday after the UK newspaper unlawfully published parts of the private letters.
In a statement published on the royal couple’s official website, Prince Harry said they had been driven to take legal action after the “painful” impact of “relentless propaganda” against his wife from the British tabloid press.
The High Court ruled in Meghan’s favour via a summary judgment, finding the publication was unlawful and a “manifestly excessive” misuse of private information.
The Court of Appeal dismissed the publisher’s appeal in December 2021, upholding the decision she had a reasonable expectation of privacy.
Meghan makes contact with her father after leg amputation
In December 2025, Markle Sr was hospitalised in the Philippines after having his leg amputated.
Markle Sr said at the time he was desperate to reunite with his estranged daughter following the “life-or-death” surgery.
Following the procedure, Meghan’s spokesperson told The Sun she had reached out to her father.
Although it has not been confirmed whether they actually spoke, reports claimed Meghan was continuing her efforts to contact her father.
However, Markle Sr said he was “confused” by the reports, claiming he never heard from his daughter.
Markle Sr investigated over alleged child sex abuse material
On October 23, shocking allegations surfaced that child sexual abuse material had allegedly been found at Markle Sr’s former home in the Philippines.
The alleged indecent images were reportedly discovered by Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Jr, who subsequently alerted detectives.
Markle Sr has denied the claims, telling the Daily Mail they were “sick lies”, while his other daughter, Samantha, also dismissed the allegations, saying “there is no merit to these disgusting allegations”.
Shortly after the claims emerged, the Duchess of Sussex released a statement saying she was “deeply distressed” by the allegations.
Meghan speaks out amid shocking claim against her father
Shortly after the news broke, Meghan released a statement saying she had been aware of the allegations for years.
“I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” she said.
“In 2018, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection. That letter was subsequently shared with me.
“It made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father and I was given assurances that these were being investigated.
“I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications’ distortion over the years, any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them.
“I trusted that the authorities were doing the same for other families.
“Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children.”
Markle Sr is said to be in a stroke rehabilitation facility in the US. No charges have been laid.
More details emerge about the letter
According to the BBC, on October 24, the Met Police confirmed it received a letter relating to Markle Sr in 2019 and it was shared with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the time.
The UK outlet also claimed the letter making a number of allegations about Markle Sr was written by his ex-wife Roslyn Loveless, before her death in 2024.
The Met Police said it did not pass on the contents of the letter shared with the Sussexes.
The force has now voluntarily referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct “in respect of the decision not to inform other law enforcement agencies, and the decision to pass the letter to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex”.
