Thomas Markle Under Investigation for Child Sexual Misconduct
The disclosure comes in the wake of fresh investigations in the Philippines and police inquiries into how the original warning letter was handled.
Thomas Markle Sr. Worked as a Lighting Director
Thomas Wayne Markle Sr. was born on July 18, 1944, in Newport, Pennsylvania, to parents Doris May Rita and Gordon Arnold Markle. His father possessed 18th-century German ethnicity from Lampertsloch in the Alsatian region now part of France, while his mother’s family had roots in New Hampshire. Among his distant ancestors are Sir Philip Wentworth and Mary Clifford, tracing back to English King Edward III.
Thomas’s professional television career began in the 1970s working as a lighting director for WTTW-TV Channel 11 in Chicago. He later worked on the soap opera General Hospital and the sitcom Married… with Children, as well as handling lighting for global events like the Olympics, earning Emmy Awards during his career.
Roslyn Loveless Alleged Sexual Misconduct by Thomas Markle Sr.
The claims stem from a 2019 letter authored by Roslyn Loveless, the first wife of Thomas Markle Sr., who died in 2024. Loveless, who divorced Thomas Markle Sr. in 1975 before he married Meghan’s mother, alleged that Thomas Markle Sr. engaged in sexual misconduct with a 12-year-old child in the United States—claiming such behavior was legal there—and traveled frequently to the Philippines and Thailand.
Dilansir The Times, Meghan initially intended to speak out about the claims. However, an officer from the Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) unit advised her against doing so, telling her: Leave it to us, we will investigate it,
and suggesting she remain quiet to avoid criticism regarding her estrangement from her father following his absence from her 2018 wedding.
Metropolitan Police ultimately failed to investigate the claims because the alleged incidents took place outside the UK, and police worked to track down the officer involved while Meghan expressed concern that Scotland Yard took no further action to notify other authorities. Independent reporting from the BBC notes that Meghan decided to cut ties with her father entirely last year after informing him that she and authorities were aware of the allegations. Reports also indicate Thomas Markle Sr. is currently in a nursing home in Florida and could be interviewed by the FBI.
Evidence Handed Over to Philippine Authorities
Thomas Markle Jr., the 60-year-old son of Thomas Markle Sr. and half-brother to Meghan—who has been estranged from her father since 2018—recently submitted evidence, including a laptop and other materials, to police in Cebu, Philippines.
Deputy Minister of Justice Nicholas Ty and Jonvic Remulla confirmed the ongoing investigation on Friday, October 23, 2026, noting that Thomas Markle Sr. previously lived in Cebu for some time and is now believed to have returned to the United States.
Police Likely Notified the Palace About the Letter
A source close to the royal family noted that it was the police’s duty to notify the Palace regarding such claims, stating it was nearly impossible that the Palace did not know about the letter since Meghan and Harry likely did not receive it separately without the royal household being informed.