Meghan Sussex’s Niece Noelle Rasmussen Speaks Out About Thomas Markle and the Abuse She Says She Suffered Under Samantha

The British press has found another member of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, extended family to interview. This time, however, the story is rather different from the familiar complaints delivered by Thomas Markle Sr., Samantha Markle and Thomas Markle Jr.

The Telegraph published an interview with Noelle Rasmussen, Meghan’s niece and Samantha Markle’s youngest daughter, who spoke about the disturbing allegations against her grandfather and her own experiences growing up.

Unlike her mother, who has spent years publicly attacking Meghan, Noelle has consistently spoken warmly about her aunt. And perhaps the most interesting part of this interview is what it reveals about the family members the British press has spent years treating as credible sources.

Noelle Rasmussen Says Something Always Felt Wrong About Her Grandfather

Speaking to The Telegraph’s Natasha Leake in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Noelle said she was disturbed but not entirely surprised by allegations that Thomas Markle Sr. possessed child sexual abuse material.

She recalled having limited contact with her grandfather and feeling uncomfortable around him, although she could not explain those feelings as a child.

Noelle said:

“Maybe it was a vibe that I subconsciously got… something’s not right about a person, and you don’t actively register it. But your body tells you when something’s off,” she says of her few experiences with him as a child.”

She suggested that, looking back, certain childhood memories now seemed different. However, Noelle explicitly stated that Thomas had never abused her.

Philippine authorities are investigating suspected child sexual abuse material reportedly recovered from Thomas’s former home in Cebu. Thomas, 82, has denied the allegations, describing them as lies. He has not been charged.

Investigators are examining the evidence, while the FBI has offered to assist Philippine authorities. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police faces scrutiny after admitting it received separate allegations against Thomas Markle in January 2019 but failed to alert other law enforcement agencies. The Met initially said it could not confirm receiving the letter, only to acknowledge it later. The dispute over dates is a distraction from its failure to share serious allegations involving children. Now the Met is reviewing its own handling of the case. Given its conduct so far, I won’t hold my breath for accountability.

Noelle Says Samantha Markle Abused Her

The interview also revisited disturbing allegations Noelle previously made about her mother. According to The Telegraph, Noelle alleges that Samantha subjected her to emotional and physical abuse during childhood. She described that period as: “Hell.”

Noelle recalled that her grandmother, Roslyn Loveless, intervened when she was 16, contacting police and child protection authorities. Her father subsequently collected her, and she did not return to Samantha’s care.

Samantha denied the allegations in 2019, reportedly telling The Sun that a court had found insufficient evidence to substantiate them. The Telegraph said it was unable to reach her for its latest article.

These are serious allegations, and Samantha’s denial must be acknowledged. But here’s what I find deeply troubling. For almost a decade, Samantha has presented herself to the British press and some American right-wing outlets as someone qualified to explain Meghan’s character, childhood and family relationships. Yet her own daughter has publicly challenged her credibility and described a deeply troubled relationship with her.

Why was Samantha’s estrangement from her own children rarely subjected to the same scrutiny as Meghan’s estrangement from her father?

Noelle Was Defending Meghan Long Before This Interview

This isn’t the first time Noelle has spoken publicly about her family. In April 2017, she criticised Samantha’s proposed book about Meghan, questioning her mother’s motives and suggesting that Samantha’s negative feelings towards her half-sister predated Meghan’s relationship with Prince Harry.

Noelle alleged that Samantha had become increasingly interested in Meghan after her acting career attracted attention. She also described Meghan as kind and genuine, rejecting the hostile characterisations her mother had promoted.

In another interview ahead of the 2018 royal wedding, Noelle explained why she doubted she would receive an invitation. She recognised that the family’s public arguments had created unnecessary drama around what should have been a happy occasion.

Rather than criticising Meghan for excluding relatives from her wedding, Noelle understood her aunt’s desire to avoid the family drama. She recalled meeting Meghan at Samantha’s college graduation in 2009 and described her as warm and welcoming. The family tensions even affected Meghan’s relationship with Samantha’s other daughter, Ashleigh Hale, whom Meghan said she wanted to invite but was advised against inviting by Kensington Palace’s communications team.

So, while Samantha was becoming a regular fixture in royal tabloid coverage, her own daughter was offering a very different account. And that account was available years before the latest allegations against Thomas Sr.

Why Did the British Press Keep Platforming Samantha?

The Daily Mail was perfectly capable of scrutinising Samantha Markle when it suited them. On May 17, 2018, just two days before Meghan’s wedding, the newspaper published an investigation questioning Samantha’s alleged paparazzi-related car crash. Florida police found no record of the incident. The report also examined child abuse allegations made by her daughter Noelle, including reported findings substantiating abuse, which Samantha disputed.

So the newspaper knew Samantha’s credibility deserved scrutiny. Yet, remarkably, it continued giving her a platform to criticise Meghan long after the wedding. And that is what makes the British media’s treatment of Samantha so troubling.

They had access to serious allegations concerning her parenting, her estrangement from her children and conflicting accounts from her own relatives. Yet Samantha continued appearing as an authority on Meghan’s character and family relationships.

Why was Samantha’s credibility worth investigating when it generated wedding-week headlines, but seemingly less important when she was attacking Meghan?

Noelle Defends Her Grandmother Roslyn Loveless

Perhaps the most significant part of Noelle’s latest interview concerns her late grandmother. Roslyn Loveless, Thomas Markle’s first wife and Samantha’s mother, wrote to the Metropolitan Police in January 2019 with allegations about her former husband’s behaviour.

The Metropolitan Police has acknowledged receiving the letter in January 2019 and passing it to Meghan through royal protection channels, while Harry and Meghan were still operating under Kensington Palace’s shared household arrangements. However, the force confirmed it did not share the allegations with other law enforcement agencies. It is now reviewing its handling of the correspondence.

Noelle described Roslyn as a courageous woman who acted when she believed someone needed protection. She also rejected Samantha’s attempts to undermine her grandmother’s credibility.

Roslyn died in 2024, two years before the current investigation became public. Noelle believes her grandmother would have been furious to discover that police had not forwarded her warning to the relevant authorities. And frankly, that concern deserves considerably more attention than another round of speculation about Meghan’s family relationships.

Noelle Supports Meghan’s Decision to Protect Her Children

Although Noelle says she has not spoken to Meghan for years, she supports her aunt’s decision to keep Archie and Lilibet away from Thomas Markle.

She explained that she would not allow her own children around someone facing allegations of child sexual abuse. That position is hardly controversial.

What makes it noteworthy is that Noelle has maintained her support for Meghan despite their limited contact. She is not claiming to speak on Meghan’s behalf, demanding a reconciliation or blaming her aunt for the family’s estrangement. Instead, she is discussing her own experiences and defending the grandmother who helped raise her.