Topic Lifecycle: Dormant
This topic is currently dormant in the news cycle. It was last covered on Monday 26 October 2026 and has not appeared in recent broadcasts.
Coverage trend (last 30 days)
How much coverage this topic got from each channel over the past month.
On screen
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Recent stories
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What was reported
A plain summary of this topic, built from the channels that covered it.
Channels reported that Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, wrote to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, last year in a letter that ended contact and said she knew about child sex abuse allegations against him. BBC NEWS and BBC ONE West, citing sources close to the Duchess, said the letter stated she knew he had abused young girls, that he would never see his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet, and that she would never contact him again. ITV1 also reported the letter said he would never meet his grandchildren and that Meghan knew about the allegations. The letter was first reported by The Sun on Sunday, according to BBC NEWS and BBC ONE West; ITV1 said the Sun newspaper was reporting the claims.
Key Claims by Channel
Friday 21 August 2026
| Claim |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 5 or more of 6 channels | ||||||
| Meghan Markle was reported to have been offered an acting role in a UK-based project | Reported by BBC News | Reported by Sky News | ||||
| Reported by a few · 2–4 channels | ||||||
| The Duke of Sussex and other claimants lost their High Court case against ANL over unlawful news gathering; the judge dismissed the cases, criticised the claimants, and said the publisher could seek further costs. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The Sussex family is planning to move back to the UK, with the reported job offer accelerating their decision. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| A judge ordered Prince Harry and six others to pay an initial £9.5 million in legal costs, and ruled that the Mail can claim costs on an indemnity basis because the claims were unreasonable to a high degree. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Only on one channel | ||||||
| Meghan Markle's last on-screen performance was in Suits in 2018 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| ANL stated that their total costs in the case were more than £34 million. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Meghan Markle will continue growing her As Ever lifestyle and food brand. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Meghan Markle said in a 2022 Variety interview that she was done with acting. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Meghan Markle filmed a cameo as herself in the upcoming film Close Personal Friends. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The second series of The Gentleman is due to be released in September. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The series is described as a crime romp in newspaper headlines. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| The series 'The Gentlemen' is about a Duke who becomes a drug baron. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
Saturday 22 August 2026
| Claim | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 5 or more of 6 channels | ||||||
| Meghan Markle was reported to have been offered an acting role in a UK-based project | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC One | Reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | ||
| Reported by a few · 2–4 channels | ||||||
| The Sussex family is planning to move back to the UK, with the reported job offer accelerating their decision. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| A judge ordered Prince Harry and six others to pay an initial £9.5 million in legal costs, and ruled that the Mail can claim costs on an indemnity basis because the claims were unreasonable to a high degree. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | ||
| Meghan first found fame in the American legal drama Suits. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Only on one channel | ||||||
| Meghan Markle's last on-screen performance was in Suits in 2018 | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The second series of The Gentleman is due to be released in September. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The series 'The Gentlemen' is about a Duke who becomes a drug baron. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |
| Meghan put her acting career on hold following her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Meghan had a cameo role in a movie at the end of last year. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Meghan appeared on MasterChef last month. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Meghan said in 2022 she never envisioned a return to acting. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
Friday 23 October 2026
| Claim | | | BBC NEWS Verified Live | |  | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 6 or more of 8 channels | ||||||||
| Meghan said she was distressed by reports of allegations against her father and had been told about them by police in 2018. | BBC NEWS Verified LiveReported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Not reported by GB News | ||||||
| Reports alleged that child sexual abuse images or videos were found at Thomas Markle's former home in the Philippines. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | ||||||
| Thomas Markle denied the allegations in a Daily Mail interview, calling them false and denying possession of child abuse images. | Not reported by BBC News | BBC NEWS Verified LiveReported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Reported by BBC One | Reported by ITV | ||||
| Reported by a few · 2–5 channels | ||||||||
| Philippine authorities confirmed they were investigating Thomas Markle over the allegations, and The Sun reported he was under investigation. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| Meghan said she kept her distance from her father and did not allow him contact with her children to protect him and them. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Broadcasters variously described the alleged material as images or videos. | Reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Not reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Philippine National Police took Thomas Markle's computer for a digital forensic examination. | Not reported by Channel 5 | BBC NEWS Verified LiveReported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | ||
| The Metropolitan Police said it was making internal inquiries into reports that its royalty protection command passed on a letter in 2018. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | ||
| The Metropolitan Police had not opened an investigation into the allegations. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News | |
| The FBI said it was aware of the allegations and ready to assist the investigation, including examining possible US law violations. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The Sun published allegations that Thomas Markle possessed child sexual abuse images and abused a child. | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News | |||
| Only on one channel | ||||||||
| Thomas Markle was 82 years old. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Thomas Markle was in the US in rehabilitation after his leg was amputated, according to the Daily Mail. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Sky News reported that Meghan was advised not to publish the letter because it could jeopardise further investigation. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| ITV reported that it had seen the 2018 letter. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Thomas Markle Sr reportedly moved to the Philippines in 2025. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| A former chief superintendent said police would decide on safeguarding grounds whether it was appropriate to share information. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC NEWS Verified Live | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
Saturday 24 October 2026
| Claim | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 6 or more of 7 channels | |||||||
| Meghan said she was distressed by reports of allegations against her father and had been told about them by police in 2018. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | |
| Reports alleged that child sexual abuse images or videos were found at Thomas Markle's former home in the Philippines. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Thomas Markle denied the allegations in a Daily Mail interview, calling them false and denying possession of child abuse images. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| Reported by a few · 2–5 channels | |||||||
| Philippine authorities confirmed they were investigating Thomas Markle over the allegations, and The Sun reported he was under investigation. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Meghan said she kept her distance from her father and did not allow him contact with her children to protect him and them. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Philippine National Police took Thomas Markle's computer for a digital forensic examination. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The Metropolitan Police said it was making internal inquiries into reports that its royalty protection command passed on a letter in 2018. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| The Metropolitan Police had not opened an investigation into the allegations. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| The FBI said it was aware of the allegations and ready to assist the investigation, including examining possible US law violations. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | |
| Sky News reported that Meghan was advised not to publish the letter because it could jeopardise further investigation. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The Duchess of Sussex issued a statement after reports of allegations against her estranged father, Thomas Markle. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The Duchess of Sussex said a letter making allegations against her father was sent to the Metropolitan Police in 2018 and that she was assured it was being investigated. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| The Sun reported that a letter alleged Thomas Markle had sexually abused a child and had admitted travelling to the Philippines and Thailand to abuse children. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Only on one channel | |||||||
| ITV reported that it had seen the 2018 letter. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Thomas Markle Sr reportedly moved to the Philippines in 2025. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| A former chief superintendent said police would decide on safeguarding grounds whether it was appropriate to share information. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
Sunday 25 October 2026
| Claim | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widely reported · 6 or more of 7 channels | |||||||
| Scotland Yard received a 2019 letter containing claims about the Duchess of Sussex's father. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Reported by a few · 2–5 channels | |||||||
| Thomas Markle denied the allegations in a Daily Mail interview, calling them false and denying possession of child abuse images. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The Met is deciding whether to refer itself to the police watchdog. | Reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Reported by Sky News |
| Meghan reportedly ended contact with her estranged father after writing to him last year, and the letter said she would not contact him again. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The letter reportedly said Meghan knew her father faced child sex abuse allegations, including that he had abused young girls. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The letter reportedly said Thomas Markle would never meet his grandchildren. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The letter was reportedly sent while Thomas Markle was in hospital in the Philippines in 2025, where he was having a leg amputated. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The Sun on Sunday first reported the letter. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Meghan said the Metropolitan Police informed her about the allegations after receiving a letter. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Meghan has been estranged from Thomas Markle since 2018, when he withdrew from the royal wedding citing ill health. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Only on one channel | |||||||
| The FBI said it was aware of the allegations and ready to assist the investigation, including examining possible US law violations. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| ITV reported that it had seen the 2018 letter. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| Philippine authorities seized a computer at Thomas Markle's former home suspected to contain child abuse images. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| The allegations reportedly first came to light after Meghan's half-brother found a stash of inappropriate images at their father's former home in the Philippines. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| A Philippines investigation is ongoing following claims by Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Jr. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Not reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
| ITV1 reported that Meghan's office said police had failed to take action. | Not reported by Channel 5 | Not reported by BBC News | Not reported by BBC One | Not reported by Channel 4 | Not reported by GB News | Reported by ITV | Not reported by Sky News |
This is a cross-channel consensus summary, not an objective account. Consensus can be uniformly wrong, or omit what only one channel covered.
Timeline
Where this topic appeared. Cells show coverage time and are darker when there was more coverage.
| Date | Channel 5 | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 26 October 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3m 44s 4.5% | — |
| Sunday 25 October 2026 | — | 7m 59s 6.5% | 1m 43s 2.0% | — | — | — | 6m 13s 22.6% | 9m 7s 9.6% |
| Saturday 24 October 2026 | — | 5m 32s 4.3% | 3m 8s 8.5% | — | 2m 1s 8.0% | 9m 38s 33.4% | 9m 42s 41.1% | 7m 35s 7.5% |
| Friday 23 October 2026 | 3m 42s 10.5% | 6m 41s 7.5% | 11m 22s 11.1% | — | 27s 1.0% | 15m 21.8% | 12m 28s 14.9% | 9m 34s 9.7% |
| Tuesday 6 October 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 12m 16s 15.4% | — | — |
| Saturday 22 August 2026 | 25s 19.5% | 4m 44s 3.2% | — | — | — | — | 1m 49s 7.1% | — |
| Friday 21 August 2026 | 15s 0.7% | — | 1m 5s 1.2% | — | — | 11m 55s 15.0% | 3m 3s 3.9% | — |
| Monday 27 July 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2m 4s 3.1% | — |
| Thursday 9 July 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | 4m 54s 12.6% | — | — |