RICHARD KAY: What insiders told me about whether Royals will reach out to Meghan and Harry. It's an opportunity to reconcile but there are risks

RICHARD KAY: What insiders told me about whether Royals will reach out to Meghan and Harry. It's an opportunity to reconcile but there are risks - and the Palace is scrambling

Even in the bulging annals of royal scandals, which have accommodated almost every conceivable plot over the centuries, it is as unique as it is unsavoury.

Yesterday, the father-in-law of the King's son was said by investigators to be a 'possible sex offender of the grossest kind'.

This astonishing claim from the interior minister of the Philippines came after authorities there began analysing digital images of child sexual abuse seized from the former home of the Duchess of Sussex's estranged father Thomas Markle.

The repercussions of this repulsive discovery – said to include an image of Markle engaging in sex with a girl who appears to be underage – were being felt 7,000 miles away as Buckingham Palace raced to find a coherent position on what is shaping up to be yet another highly damaging crisis for the monarchy.

On the face of it, this sordid episode should have no impact on the working life of the Royal Family, which will this week see King Charles and Queen Camilla embark on a sensitive tour of the Caribbean, which will take in the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Antigua and Barbuda.

As if that gathering was not already delicate enough, with the King facing demands for both an apology and reparations for the slave trade, the revelations from South-East Asia have added another level of complexity.

There has, understandably, been a surge of public sympathy for the King's daughter-in-law, who has disclosed that she finally broke off all contact with her father a year ago after reportedly telling him that she was aware of allegations he had abused young girls.

In a letter sent to Markle while he was in hospital in the Philippines having had a leg amputated, Meghan apparently made clear he would never see his grandchildren – Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five – and she would never contact him again.

Ever since their return to Britain in August, public interest in Prince Harry and Meghan has remained high. Will they be reconciled with William and Kate? (Seen together in 2018)

The revelations concerning her father have prompted an outpouring of affection for her, particularly from mothers. By speaking out about her distress over the Met police's failure to act on the abuse claims when they were first raised, that swell of popular sympathy has only increased.

But for the monarchy this newfound goodwill represents both a danger and an opportunity.

Ever since their return to Britain in August, public interest in Prince Harry and Meghan has remained high, despite them making only a handful of public appearances. It is their mere presence on UK soil that is intriguing. Why did they come back? How long will they stay? Will they be reconciled with William and Kate?

The questions are as endless as they are fascinating. And the few quasi-royal engagements they have carried out have proved emphatically how much they can distract attention from the activities of the working Windsors.

In many ways it has meant that the Royal Family, whether they like it or not, are being judged by the activities of the two former working royals. With some notable exceptions, many of their headline-grabbing stunts during their 'Megxit' years in California could be ignored because of their physical distance from the UK and the time difference. But now they are based in the Cotswolds, it is a different story.

And for the royals it can feel too close for comfort.

So how then should the King and the rest of the family react to what is, after all, a clearly troubling but deeply personal issue?

If the public's perception of Meghan has shifted then, many will argue, why can't the royals' attitude change, too?

One reason, of course, relates to the issue of trust. From the Oprah Winfrey interview and the wildly over-hyped Netflix docuseries to Harry's tawdry memoir, Spare, the couple have demonstrated scant regard for family ties and royal obligations. Scores were settled, vitriol dished out and grievances aired on an unprecedented scale.

After speaking to friends of the Royal Family this weekend, one argument I heard over and over again went like this: if family members reach out to the couple, will it remain confidential or will it – like Meghan's extraordinary revelation that she had been shown a letter containing claims about her father's alleged offending by Scotland Yard in 2019 – become public knowledge?

In a letter sent to her father while he was in hospital in the Philippines having had a leg amputated, Meghan apparently made clear he would never see his grandchildren

On the other hand, the friends continued, if the royals do nothing at all, will that become a source of resentment and eventual public complaint? The cold Windsors' failure to communicate with Meghan at a time of such deep personal anxiety could be weaponised by being leaked through Harry and Meghan's favourite channels.

As a grandfather and a Christian, Charles, I am sure, will offer compassion and support to Meghan. Remember how, as Prince of Wales, he walked her up the aisle on her wedding day when her father pulled out of the ceremony, citing ill health. Knowing what we do now, perhaps Mr Markle's absence from his daughter's side at Windsor that day can be seen in a different light.

Harry is not thought to have seen his father since his return. A meeting now looks much more likely.

For Prince William, however, the stakes are higher. He, more than anyone, has little reason to offer a consoling hand. In his book, Harry presented his relationship with the brother he called his 'arch nemesis' as strained and difficult.

He even described a physical altercation the pair had, which ended up with William ripping Harry's necklace and knocking him to the floor.

There's no doubt that Harry and Meghan's return to the UK has had a greater impact on William than anyone else in the Royal Family. During the ten weeks or so that his brother has been back in the UK, it has cast an, at times, uneasy spotlight on the Prince of Wales and how he engages with people.

Some figures close to the royals have openly wondered if William's decision to appear on Graham Norton's prime-time chat show on Friday night was somehow related to the fact his brother is now back in Britain.

Although he came across well, and his appearance was judged a great success by Press and public alike, it is also tempting to wonder if he would have considered opening up on Norton's sofa had it not been for Harry's enduring obsession with unburdening himself to the cameras. Was William, in short, upping his game because of his brother's presence?

The two have not spoken for more than four years, since Queen Elizabeth's funeral. If they are ever to reconcile, might not this be an unlikely but nevertheless worthwhile opportunity?

Some in William's circle insist that nothing has changed. As disturbing as the claims swirling around Thomas Markle are, they do not turn the clock back. 'The Prince of Wales remains deeply hurt by the betrayal of him and Catherine in the book,' says one.

There are, however, many questions left still unanswered about this wretched affair. In her first intervention last week, Meghan said she had been shown the letter about her father's alleged sex abuse of children – which was yesterday claimed to have been written by Markle's first wife, Roslyn Loveless, who died in 2024 – by royal protection officers.

Some figures close to the royals have openly wondered if William's decision to appear on Graham Norton's chat show was somehow related to the fact his brother is now back in Britain

At the time in 2019, the Sussexes' police bodyguards were part of the team that also protected Charles – then Prince of Wales – and Camilla, as well as William and Harry.

It would not be unusual for other members of the squad to have knowledge of such a letter and, if so, might it also have been passed to Charles?

Why nothing appears to have been done to investigate Ms Loveless's allegations, despite Meghan claiming she had been assured at the time that they would be investigated, remains one of the mysteries of the saga and – rightly – the subject of a new and crucial Scotland Yard inquiry.

The coming days will tell if sympathy alone is enough to force the royals into rethinking their relationship with Harry and Meghan. In some quarters, the duchess's decision to address the claims about her father directly have seen her favourably dubbed a 'tiger mom', fearlessly defending her children in the face of unspeakable allegations of depravity.

Might such comparisons shift the dial when it comes to public attitudes towards her?

Not so long ago, Harry and Meghan were seen not as agents of change but of destruction, whose behaviour could wreck Britain's affection for the monarchy.

It would be too far-fetched to suggest that they could now be its saviours, but wouldn't it be something if, out of this dark episode, something tangibly good emerged: a family reconciliation?

Thomas Markle had only just managed to sit upright in his hospital bed for the first time since having his leg amputated when there was a knock at the door.

Two women walked in. One was clutching a white envelope bearing Mr Markle's name.

It was December last year and this was the moment he discovered that his estranged daughter, Meghan, had sent him a letter.

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.

It has now emerged that, according to The Sun, Meghan's letter contained the sensational allegation that she 'knew her father had abused young girls' and that she wrote he would never meet his grandchildren, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five.

I had absolutely no inkling that the innocuous-looking white envelope contained such a bombshell.

Out of respect for Meghan's privacy, I never asked Mr Markle what the letter said.

But I vividly remember the bizarre circumstances in which it was delivered because it was a scene so surreal it has stayed with me ever since.

The moment in December last year that Thomas Markle discovered that his estranged daughter, Meghan, had sent him a letter

It has now emerged that, according to The Sun, Meghan's letter contained the sensational allegation that she 'knew her father had abused young girls'

I flew to the Philippines last December at Mr Markle's urging. We became friends in 2018 and he asked me to come after doctors discovered a massive blood clot that meant his left leg would have to be amputated below the knee.

By the time I arrived in Cebu – the city to which he and his son Tom Jr had moved in January 2025 in search of a 'fresh start' – Mr Markle was in intensive care.

It was in Cebu that Tom Jr allegedly discovered a stash of child sex images on his father's computer, phone and hard drives, claims Mr Markle has vehemently denied.

But back to the letter.

A few days after my arrival, Mr Markle was transferred to a private room at the University of Cebu Medical Centre.

For a then 81-year-old man who had already suffered two heart attacks and a stroke, his recovery was remarkable.

I remember a physiotherapist entering the room and announcing: 'OK, Mr Tom, it's time for you to get moving.'

He manoeuvred him from a prone position into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. We were smiling at this small but significant milestone when there was a knock at the door.

In walked two women who introduced themselves as a lawyer and the hospital's president.

There had been no warning of their arrival.

Mr Markle was sitting on the bed with the stump of his leg exposed, still wrapped in a bloodied bandage. Instinctively I reached for a sheet to cover it and preserve his dignity.

The lawyer was carrying a clutch of legal documents. The women explained that they had come to deliver a letter from his daughter Meghan and that Mr Markle would have to sign paperwork authorising them to film the encounter so that footage could be sent to Meghan's office as proof that the sealed letter had been handed to him.

I immediately offered to leave the room but Mr Markle asked me to stay.

Thomas Markle and Filipino nurse Rio Canedo, 46, at the rehab centre in Cebu, Philippines

'If you are going to video this, then I would like Caroline to video it too,' he told the lawyer.

The whole thing felt utterly surreal.

Here was an elderly man, seriously ill and heavily medicated with powerful painkillers, being asked to sign legal documents before receiving a letter from his own daughter.

Mr Markle duly signed the papers.

The hospital's president performatively handed him the envelope bowing slightly as she said: 'Mr Markle, I have been asked to hand you this personally by your daughter Meghan. It is sealed. I need to make sure you know it is sealed.'

There was a nod towards the iPhone camera being held by the lawyer.

Once they knew the encounter had been successfully captured on tape the two women left as quickly as they had arrived, leaving Mr Markle and I alone with the glaringly white envelope lying on his hospital bed.

He began to tremble.

He told me he was not ready to read Meghan's letter and asked me to move it out of his sight. I put it on a plastic table next to his uneaten lunch.

For the next four hours he fretted about opening it. He told me he was 'scared' it would 'contain bad news'.

Eventually he decided he could put it off no longer.

'I better get this over with,' he said.

He asked me to hand him the envelope. Once again, I offered to leave the room while he read it.

He read the letter in silence, saying nothing. He shook his head several times. Then he folded the letter up, slipped it back into its envelope and asked me to put it in the wardrobe.

And that was that. He told me nothing about its contents. I asked no questions.

Tom Jr, Meghan's brother, claimed to have found the child-abuse material packed up in boxes at his father's Philippines home

The letter went into his bag in the wardrobe containing the dirty clothes he'd arrived at the hospital in and we never discussed it again. Until now.

Following The Sun's revelations about the letter on Sunday, I telephoned Mr Markle, who is now living in a rehabilitation centre in Florida after returning to the US in May to continue his medical treatment.

He told me he has 'a vague memory' of receiving the letter but cannot recall what it said.

Mr Markle has since been diagnosed with dementia, a condition he has authorised the Daily Mail to report.

He also gave permission for us to share the video of the extraordinary hospital encounter.

'I remember getting the letter but I don't remember anything else about it,' he said. 'I'm happy for people to see the video. I have nothing to hide.'

I asked him about The Sun's report that Meghan said in the letter that she knew of allegations he was a child sex abuser: 'I'm not a paedophile. I've never done anything bad to a child. Never.

'If Meghan says that's what she wrote, then she's probably right. I was very sick. I have memory issues. I know there was a letter, but I don't remember what it said.'

He has no idea where the letter is now.

Mr Markle left the Philippines in May, leaving most of his possessions behind. He intended to return later this year once he had learned to walk using a prosthetic limb.

He has strenuously denied his son's allegations about the child sex abuse images, describing the claims as 'terrible lies'.

He maintains the computers said to contain the material were out of his control for nearly two years following their move to Cebu.

'The stuff was boxed up in Mexico and put on a container ship. I kept asking Tom for my computers, but he said they were in storage.'

Meanwhile, Tom Jr, a man I also have known for years, insists his father is in 'denial' and claims he acted because the material he found was so horrific he had to report it.

Authorities in the Philippines have launched an enquiry and the FBI in the US is likely to follow suit this week.

Mr Markle has said he will fully co-operate with authorities to clear his name and has even offered to take a lie detector test.

For now the letter that arrived under such weird circumstances in that Filipino hospital room remains missing its contents, beyond what has been reported by The Sun, unconfirmed by Mr Markle himself or, as of now, the Duchess of Sussex.

Mr Markle claims he remembers nothing of the letter's contents but I will never forget the dramatic, and frankly weird, way it was delivered.