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Letter handed to Met Police accusing Thomas Markle of child sex abuse 'was sent by his ex-wife'

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Cite

Rossiter, J., & Graham, C. (2026, October 25). Letter handed to Met Police accusing Thomas Markle of child sex abuse 'was sent by his ex-wife'. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16236935/Thomas-Markle-wife-letter-warning-alleged-child-abuse.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

Daily Mail · collected 2026-10-25 · by Joe Rossiter, Caroline Graham
Content note This article describes abuse of a child.

Quick Summary

Roslyn Loveless, Thomas Markle's first wife from 1964 to 1975, reportedly sent a letter in 2019 to the Metropolitan Police accusing him of child sex abuse. This claim contradicts Markle's own statement to The Mail on Sunday where he denied his ex-wife was behind the letter and suggested it might have been set up to discredit him. Authorities are investigating Markle for allegedly hoarding child sex images in the Philippines, while the Met faces criticism for not acting on the 2019 letter until much later.
Written by AI on 2026-10-25, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

As of October 29, 2026, the Metropolitan Police announced they would refer allegations about Thomas Markle Sr. to overseas law enforcement agencies after a review found that serious accusations against him were not properly communicated when first received by British authorities in January 2018. These allegations include possession of child abuse images while living in the Philippines. Thomas Markle Jr., who had discovered and reported this material to the FBI, claims his father has an extensive collection of illegal images. The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, expressed deep distress over these reports and stated her thoughts are with any children potentially harmed by such actions. Buckingham Palace is reportedly concerned about potential new revelations from this review, given the close ties between the Royal Family and the controversy surrounding Thomas Markle Sr.'s allegations.

Written for “Met Police Refers Itself Over Markle Letter” on 2026-10-30, grounded in this article and the 71 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Met Police Refers Itself Over Markle Letter
Crime & Law · 72 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 14% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
The Guardian
Hedges 6 of 22 claims Outlet record 66/100
“While both articles discuss allegations of child sexual abuse involving Thomas Markle Sr., they describe different aspects and timeframes of the incident, with Article A focusing on Meghan's reaction to recent claims made by her half-brother, and Article B reporting on a letter sent years earlier by his ex-wife.”
Daily Mail
Hedges 6 of 40 claims Outlet record 68/100
“The articles describe different aspects of Thomas Markle's involvement with alleged child abuse images, but do not report on the exact same incident or occurrence.”
Daily Mail
Hedges 17 of 51 claims Outlet record 68/100
“The articles describe different aspects of the incident involving a letter alleging child abuse by Thomas Markle, with Article A focusing on Meghan Markle's claims about the letter being sent to police in 2018 and Article B reporting on who actually sent the letter (allegedly Roslyn Loveless) in 2019.”
Evening Standard
Hedges 11 of 34 claims Outlet record 65/100
“While both articles discuss a letter related to allegations against Thomas Markle Sr., they describe different aspects of the incident, with Article A focusing on the receipt and investigation by the Met Police and Article B on identifying who sent the letter.”
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 1 of 4 claims Outlet record 68/100
BBC News
Hedges 11 of 29 claims Outlet record 69/100
“While both articles discuss a letter sent to the Metropolitan Police about Thomas Markle, Article B specifies that Roslyn Loveless allegedly sent the letter in 2019, whereas Article A does not mention who sent the letter but discusses it being related to allegations from 2018.”
Daily Mail
Hedges 17 of 90 claims Outlet record 68/100
“Article A discusses Meghan being informed about allegations against her father Thomas in 2018, while Article B talks about the revelation that a letter alleging child abuse sent to the Metropolitan Police was from Thomas Markle's ex-wife in 2019.”
The Sydney Morning Herald
Hedges 10 of 43 claims Outlet record 61/100
“Article A discusses Meghan's revelation about allegations reported to police in 2018, while Article B focuses on a letter sent to the Met Police in 2019 by Thomas Markle's first wife reporting alleged child abuse. These are different specific events.”
National Post
Hedges 7 of 24 claims Outlet record 60/100
“Article A discusses Meghan Markle's response to accusations about her father having child abuse images, while Article B focuses on a letter sent by Thomas Markle's ex-wife to the Metropolitan Police regarding alleged child abuse. Although related, these are different specific incidents.”
Daily Mail
Hedges 11 of 29 claims Outlet record 68/100
“While both articles discuss a letter accusing Thomas Markle of child abuse and sent to the Metropolitan Police, they describe different aspects and times related to the same overall incident.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
49
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
14%
7 of 49 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
68/100
Daily Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
72
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-25 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Daily Mail · 8386 article(s) · 20 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 20 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Joe Rossiter
52 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 John Healey is plotting a tax hike on imported fuel in Wednesday's Budget, sparking fears he could trigger a rise in petrol prices.
🔮 In the picture Kate was joined by Prince William, whose hands are on the shoulders of the couple's youngest son, Prince Louis.
🔮 Reacting to the idea that the letter may have been sent by his first wife, Mr Markle said: 'This shocks me.
🔮 Khan, who was supported in court by two family members, was told he would next appear at Warwick Crown Court on November 23.
🔮 President Javier Milei previously warned his country would 'recover' the Falklands and told the UN General Assembly in New York that Argentina could be forced to 'take matters into our own hands'.
🔮 After wildfires raged across Britain this summer, war continued across the world and fears of a new 'plague' emerged from Russia, it is understandable that some may have felt the world was going to end.
🔮 She also asked for planning permission to build guest accommodation and 'leisure facilities' according to planning documents. But residents have said the revamped business may represent overdevelopment and bring heavy traffic and congestion to the hamlet.
🔮 Britain could be hit by the first named storm of the season this weekend as the Met Office warned of strong winds and torrential rain.
🔮 He said the threat appeared to be from 'Islamists threatening that Sharia law will be brought into our country', adding it had caused 'huge alarm' in schools. Police Scotland said similar threats had been sent to 'a number of schools' there and Glasgow City Council said it was aware of 148 schools receiving threatening messages in its local authority and some neighbouring areas. Mr Givan added: 'At this stage, the advice to schools is that we're not treating this as a viable threat but it has clearly caused huge alarm. 'Some schools have closed as a result of this threat being received through formal communication channels to those schools, something that I condemn that there has been this level of disruption caused to young people's education.
🔮 Sonia Exelby, 32, boarded a plane from Portsmouth to Marion County in Florida, where she was found dead on October 17 last year Father-of-two Dwain Hall will stand trial for Ms Exelby's murder next month Hall stands accused of abusing and murdering Ms Exelby inside this Airbnb cabin before dumping her body in a shallow grave Ms Exelby's five siblings said some of her 'closest relatives' including their partners and nieces could not afford to travel to Florida.
Also by Joe Rossiter
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 52 articles by Joe Rossiter →
Caroline Graham
14 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 What neither of us could have imagined was that the envelope would become the focus of a fresh and deeply troubling chapter in the extraordinary saga of the fractured Markle family.
🔮 Reacting to the idea that the letter may have been sent by his first wife, Mr Markle said: 'This shocks me.
🔮 In an embarrassing blow, the Metropolitan Police said it may refer itself to the police watchdog over the way it dealt with bombshell allegations made against Thomas Markle.
🔮 'Dad distanced himself because he was disgusted by Tom's heavy drinking and behaviour.' Meghan Markle half-brother, Thomas Markle Jnr, pictured hand-in-hand with his fiancee Rose in the Philippines on May 10, 2025 Tom Jnr, however, maintains that his father Thomas Markle Snr (pictured) had mistreated him for years and used money to control him When Thomas retired from his job as a Hollywood lighting director and moved to Rosarito, Mexico, he did not give his son his address.
🔮 During an extensive two-hour interview, Mr Markle told the MoS that: - He would willingly speak to investigators and take a lie detector test to demonstrate his innocence; - He believes his son Tom Jnr – who reported him to police – is possibly behind the explosive letter; - Meghan stopped him from ever seeing his grandchildren Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, because of the 'lies' he has not been given the chance to challenge; - Books among the hoard described as 'pornographic' are about nothing more than Hollywood history and photography; - Any child abuse images found on his computer were 'planted' to destroy his reputation before he dies.
🔮 Mr Markle, 82, said allegations made by his son Tom Jr that he downloaded child pornography on to computers and cellphones 'is the worst thing anyone could accuse me of'.
🔮 Last night, the Sussexes said they still had a copy and offered to share it with police if officers could not locate it.
🔮 The letter is believed to have been sent to the Duchess during summer 2018, soon after she married Harry in May that year at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
🔮 Thomas Markle Snr, pictured with Rio Canedo, 46, is the subject of a child sex investigation after being reported to police by his own son Meghan and her father Thomas, pictured here together, have been estranged since 2018, the year she married Prince Harry Thomas Markle Jr, Meghan's brother, claimed to have found the child-abuse material packed up in boxes at his father's Philippines home He reported his discovery to the FBI Hotline on July 10, the US-based National Centre for Exploited and Missing Children and the state police in Pennsylvania where his father was living. Filipino police have launched an investigation and are preparing to seize the evidence. A source close to Meghan reportedly told the paper: 'Now maybe people will finally understand why she has had nothing to do with her father since 2018.'
🔮 People would say, "Oh, you lasted a couple of Scaramuccis!"'
Also by Caroline Graham
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 14 articles by Caroline Graham →

Topics

Met Philippines Sussex The Mail on Sunday the Metropolitan Police

Subjects

Markle PERSON · 8× Philippines GPE · 5× Meghan PERSON · 3× Roslyn PERSON · 3× Loveless PERSON · 2× Met ORG · 2× Roslyn Loveless PERSON · 2× The Mail on Sunday ORG · 2× The Sun ORG · 2× Sussex PERSON · 1×

Narrative

Mr Markle, pictured with nurse Rio Canedo, is the subject of a child sex investigation after being reported to police by his son Thomas Markle Jr, Meghan's half-brother, claimed to have found the child abuse material packed up in boxes at his father's Philippines home Speaking to the Daily Mail on Friday Mr Markle called the allegations against him 'sick lies' and said he was 'very upset that my son is making these allegations against me'. Meghan's half-sister Samantha, who is Mr Markle's main caregiver, also defended their father and accused her brother of fabricating the allegations for financial gain.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-25
🔮 Reacting to the idea that the letter may have been sent by his first wife, Mr Markle said: 'This shocks me.

Claims (49 extracted, 7 hedged)

A letter reporting alleged child abuse by the Duchess of Sussex's estranged father to the Metropolitan Police was sent by his first wife, it has been reported. asserted
it → report → wife
Roslyn Loveless, who was married to Thomas Markle from 1964 to 1975, sent the letter detailing allegations against him in 2019, the New York Post claimed. asserted
Post → marry → 2019
Last night Mr Markle told The Mail on Sunday he did not believe that Ms Loveless – who died in 2024 – had sent the letter and said he felt the story was 'a set-up'. asserted
story → tell → letter
Reacting to the idea that the letter may have been sent by his first wife, Mr Markle said: 'This shocks me. uncertain
This → react → me
I'm not buying it. asserted
I → buy → it
Roslyn and I broke up years ago but I was good to her in the divorce. asserted
I → break → divorce
I find it hard to believe she would write a letter like that. asserted
she → find → that
It's really sad but she would never have written something like that letter without someone making suggestions to her. asserted
someone → write → her
She had really bad alcohol problems for years. asserted
She → have → years
'I feel like this is a set up. asserted
this → feel → ?
I would like to see the letter Roslyn wrote. asserted
Roslyn → like → letter
She's dead so she can't speak out for herself. asserted
she → speak → herself
Why is this all coming out now? asserted
this → come → ?
Why is my son trying to destroy me? asserted
son → try → me
Why is Meghan dumping on me?' asserted
Meghan → dump → me
He said Ms Loveless cooperated with a 'really negative' story about him but he did not believe she would accuse him of being a paedophile. asserted
she → say → him
'My first wife and I had an OK relationship for many years because of our kids. asserted
wife → have → kids
I don't believe she would say bad things about me. asserted
she → believe → me
She's not around to defend herself. asserted
She → defend → herself
I think this was something that was maybe put in place to discredit me after my death. asserted
that → think → death
I'm alive and I am calling b*******.' asserted
I → call → *
Roslyn Loveless, the first wife of Meghan Markle's estranged father Thomas, penned the letter which alerted police to allegations against him in 2019, it has been reported Mr Markle faces child sex allegations which he denies and told The Mail on Sunday he was 'not buying' the idea that his first wife, who died two years ago, wrote the letter The 82-year-old last night confessed to this newspaper that he paid for sex in the Philippines but denied sleeping with underage girls. asserted
he → estrange → girls
And he vowed to 'do whatever it takes' to clear his name after being accused of sickening child sex crimes. asserted
it → vow → crimes
Authorities in the Philippines are investigating the former Hollywood lighting technician for allegedly hoarding child sex images. uncertain
Authorities → investigate → images
It came as the Met faced questions over why it sat on the letter raising the alarm over the allegations against Mr Markle for more than seven years. asserted
it → come → years
Meghan initially said she learned of the allegations in 2018 from the letter, which was passed to her by Met detectives, but the force has since said it actually alerted her a year later. asserted
it → say → her
The duchess said she had been 'given assurances' that the allegations were being investigated. asserted
allegations → say → assurances
She added the allegations against her father were 'more sickening than one could ever imagine', adding: 'My thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed.' Mr Markle has strongly denied the allegations against him since The Sun revealed he was being investigated in the Philippines. uncertain
he → add → Philippines
Child sex images reportedly held by Mr Markle were turned over to police last week by his son, Thomas Markle Jr. The son claimed that he found child abuse images on computers his father left behind in the Philippines when he returned to the US earlier this year. uncertain
he → hold → US
Mr Markle Jr told The Sun: 'When I found this material, I was horrified and I had no option but to report my dad. asserted
I → tell → dad
I have supported, cared for him and helped him for years, but that stops now. asserted
that → support → years
I won't speak to my father ever again unless I'm called to give evidence against him.' asserted
I → speak → him
Mr Markle, pictured with nurse Rio Canedo, is the subject of a child sex investigation after being reported to police by his son Thomas Markle Jr, Meghan's half-brother, claimed to have found the child abuse material packed up in boxes at his father's Philippines home Speaking to the Daily Mail on Friday Mr Markle called the allegations against him 'sick lies' and said he was 'very upset that my son is making these allegations against me'. Meghan's half-sister Samantha, who is Mr Markle's main caregiver, also defended their father and accused her brother of fabricating the allegations for financial gain. asserted
who → picture → gain
She told the Mail this week: 'There is no merit in these disgusting allegations whatsoever and my brother is disgusting for making them up. asserted
brother → tell → them
He wants to destroy our dad. asserted
He → want → dad
Mr Markle and Ms Loveless shared Samantha, 61, and Thomas Jr, 60, before he fathered the now-duchess with Doria Ragland in 1981. asserted
he → share → 1981
He was married to Meghan's mother from 1979 to 1987, with the couple separating when their daughter was around two years old. asserted
daughter → separate → 1987
Days after Prince Archie's birth in May 2019, Ms Loveless described her ex-husband as an 'awful father' who should never be allowed to meet his grandson. uncertain
who → describe → grandson
She said Meghan 'would be a fool to have him in her life' and added: 'Repeatedly he has shown to Meghan he cannot be trusted. asserted
he → say → Meghan
She must know that now. asserted
She → know → that
…and 9 more, not listed.
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