Meghan Markle tells estranged father he will never see Archie and Lilibet over child sex abuse claims The Duchess of Sussex has cut all contact with her father, Thomas Markle, after learning of allegations that he abused young girls. In a letter sent last year, Meghan explicitly stated that he would never be allowed to meet his grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, due to these serious claims. The Duchess of Sussex told her estranged father last year that she knew he had abused young girls and that he would never see Archie and Lilibet. Meghan, 45, sent a letter to Thomas Markle Sr, 82, while he was recovering in hospital in the Philippines after having his leg amputated. The Mail on Sunday was in the room when someone hand-delivered the white envelope to him, but we did not ask about its contents out of respect for the duchess's privacy.Meghan Cuts Ties With FatherBut it has been revealed by The Sun on Sunday that in it Meghan told him he would never hear from her again or meet his grandchildren. Scotland Yard first told Meghan seven years ago about the 'troubling and disturbing' child sex abuse claims about her father after being sent a letter, understood to have been written by Mr Markle's late first wife, Roslyn Loveless. Filipino authorities are now investigating the former Hollywood lighting technician for allegedly hoarding child-sex images.Philippine interior minister, Jonvic Remulla, said the forensics data is expected to be completed in a week, but 'right now all signs point to a possible sex offender of the grossest kind'. Meghan has been estranged from her father since 2018 and he did not attend his daughter's wedding to Prince Harry that year after 'suffering a heart attack' and saying he did not want to embarrass her.King Charles stepped in to walk his daughter-in-law down the aisle at Windsor Castle. Mr Markle confessed to The Mail on Sunday last night he had paid for sex while living in the Far East but he denied sleeping with under-age girls. He has vowed to 'do whatever it takes' to clear his name after being accused of sickening child sex crimes, saying: 'I have never had sex with anyone under the age of 18.' Mr Markle relocated to Cebu City in the Philippines from his home in Mexico last year. He is currently in a nursing facility in Florida where he is learning to walk with a prosthetic limb after his left leg was amputated in December last year. Last week, Meghan said she had been assured the allegations were being investigated.Met Police Admit Handling FailuresBut the Met admitted on Saturday it had failed to pass on the details of the 'alleged offending outside the UK' to other law enforcement agencies. The force said it may refer itself to the police watchdog over its handling of the case. Asked about the Met case, Angela Rayner said today it was 'an operational issue'. The Housing Secretary told Sky News: 'Meghan Markle has faced a tremendous amount of intrusion into her family.It must be difficult as a daughter to have all this out in the open.' She added: 'As a mother myself, I can understand the difficulty that that is for Meghan, and for it to be all over the news every day. 'Her estrangement from her father has been something that's been in the Press for some time. But she's been really clear now, I think, on the reasons, some of the reasons, why that is the case.'But at the heart of this, you've got a mother who is trying to raise her children and protect them, and to have a great family life, and that is obviously very difficult when you're in the public eye. ' Meghan published a powerful statement on Saturday in which she said news of the find had left her 'deeply distressed', and explained it was this knowledge that was behind her decision to never allow her father to meet Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five.Duchess Explains Child Protection DecisionShe added the decision, which came after a letter handed to her by the Met's royal protection team, was made to 'safeguard' them.'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. '