The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it received a letter in 2019 containing claims of “alleged offending outside the UK” by Thomas Markle Sr, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, and passed it to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, but did not share the details “with other law enforcement agencies”.
Letter received in January 2019
The force said on Saturday that it received the letter in January 2019 about a “number of claims” relating to the Duchess of Sussex’s father. It added that it was “reviewing its handling of the matter”, including whether the force needs to be referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Authorities in the Philippines have said they are investigating allegations that Thomas Markle Sr had a hoard of child sex abuse images.
Meghan's awareness of allegations
On Friday, Meghan said she was made aware of “disturbing allegations” about her father in 2018. She said she was shown a letter sent to Scotland Yard eight years ago making “troubling” allegations against Thomas Markle Sr, and she was assured that these were being investigated.
A Met Police spokesperson said on Saturday afternoon: “Following a thorough review of Met Police systems and records, we have confirmed that in January 2019, we received a letter containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.
“It was sent to the MPS Protection Command to raise concerns in relation to the security of the Duchess of Sussex.
“The letter was reviewed and a decision was made that it should be passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness.
“The details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.
“The MPS is reviewing the handling of this matter in 2019 and considering whether a referral to the IOPC is necessary to review our approach.”
Next steps for the Met Police
The Met Police is currently reviewing its handling of the 2019 letter and considering whether a referral to the IOPC is necessary. The review will determine if the force’s approach in handling the matter was appropriate.
