Met Police Confirm 2019 Letter on Meghan's Father Sent to Her Office

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that they provided the Duchess of Sussex with a letter in 2019 containing allegations of offending involving her father, Thomas Markle Sr. The confirmation followed reports that Markle Sr possessed images of child sexual abuse. Scotland Yard stated it received the document in January 2019. The letter made claims about offending outside of Britain. The force said the information was passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They added that the details were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.

The Sun newspaper reported that Markle Sr's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, discovered the images at a former family home in the Philippines. Markle Jr, 60, told detectives in the Philippines that he found hundreds or thousands of images on computers and mobile phones. These devices were stored in four large boxes at a house in Cebu. Markle Sr lived in that location until returning to the United States in May following a stroke. The Sun also reported that Markle Jr contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Thomas Markle Sr has denied the allegations. He told the Daily Mail that the accusations were sick lies. A spokesperson for the Met Police said the force conducted a thorough review of its systems and records. The letter was sent to the Protection Command of the Metropolitan Police Service to raise concerns about the security of the Duchess. The spokesperson said the letter was reviewed and a decision was made to pass it to the couple's office for their awareness. The force is now reviewing how the matter was handled in 2019. It is considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Meghan spoke through a spokesperson on Friday. She said she was deeply distressed by the news. She said her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed. She stated that a letter containing troubling and disturbing allegations about her father had been shared with her. She said she was given assurances that the claims were being investigated. She explained that her decision to keep him from having contact with her children was made to protect them.

The Duchess is estranged from her father. He has never met their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5. Harry and Meghan recently moved back to the United Kingdom from the United States. Meghan initially said the letter was sent in 2018. She later corrected this to 2019. Her spokesperson said it is understandable she could be mistaken by a few months when recalling events from more than seven years ago without a diary entry. The spokesperson said that if the Met holds a time-stamped record showing the letter was reviewed in 2019, that should be treated as the accurate reference point.

Sources said Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations when she learned of them in 2019. They said this was to avoid jeopardizing any future investigation. They also noted that speaking out could have led to legal action against her.