Inside Meghan Markle's 'Relief' After Years of Silence Over Estrangement From Father Thomas Markle

EXCLUSIVE: The Duchess of Sussex was reportedly limited in what she could say publicly due to police and legal considerations after receiving a letter containing 'disturbing' allegations about her father.

MEGHAN Markle is seemingly feeling 'relief' after allegations of child sexual abuse were levelled against her father Thomas Markle Snr.

Overnight, the former lighting director became embroiled in scandal after it emerged that his son, Thomas Markle Jnr, 60, apparently reported his father to the police in the Philippines. According to The Sun newspaper, this was after he found a sinister cache of material hidden in boxes in his residence in the city of Cebu.

After years of speculation regarding the state of the pair's relationship, sources familiar with the situation have now told The Royal Observer that members of the Duchess's circle are feeling 'relieved' now the extent of the allegations about her dad has finally come to light.

My sources have suggested that legal and police-related considerations limited what could be said in public by the Sussex camp for a number of years. This came amid worldwide reports following the breakdown of Meghan's relationship with her father. Now it seems the world can understand more of the reasoning why Meghan purposely chose to keep her distance.

The pair famously fell out before her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry after Thomas, 82, colluded with a paparazzi photographer and was paid for setting up shots of him as he prepared for the Windsor Castle nuptials. The Duchess of Sussex publicly revealed her 'distress' at the news in a statement, saying that she was passed a letter in 2018 that was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection that contained "troubling and disturbing allegations".

In her statement, the Duchess of Sussex said: "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.

"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."

She also confirmed that she chose not to allow her father access to her children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, for their own protection.

The Duchess continued: "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." 

Adding: "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."

Thomas Snr. was supposed to walk his daughter down the aisle at the ceremony in St George's Chapel, but he was taken ill shortly before the big day. At the time, reports suggested that Doctors had implanted three stents in his blood vessels and his health prohibited him from travelling from Mexico to the UK.

The Royal Observer contacted a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment.

Following on from the Duchess's statement, the Met Police have revealed the force is now conducting its own internal inquiries.

When contacted, A spokesperson for the Met Police told the Royal Observer: "We are aware of media reports that officers from the Met's Royalty and Specialist Protection Command were involved in the passing on of a letter in 2018."

 Adding: "We are undertaking enquiries internally in an effort to confirm this."

Meanwhile, Thomas Markle Snr has strongly rejected the allegations made against him as he opened up to the Daily Mail from a rehabilitation center in Florida. Speaking to the publication, he insisted he could never commit the acts he's accused of.

He said: "I could never do what I’m being accused of. It’s the worst thing anyone could accuse me of."