The Duchess of Sussex has issued a clarification after an apparent date discrepancy emerged regarding allegations about her estranged father, Thomas Markle Snr. The Metropolitan Police confirmed they received a letter containing a "number of claims" about Thomas Markle Snr in January 2019, which contradicts Meghan's statement on Friday claiming she was made aware of the allegations in 2018.
Spokesperson defends timeline slip
A spokesperson for the Duchess defended the timeline slip, insisting she is simply "doing her best" to remember details from more than seven years ago. The statement read: "In recalling events from more than seven years ago, without the benefit of a diary entry or contemporaneous record, it is understandable that she may have been mistaken by a few months."
The statement added: "If the MPS holds a time-stamped record confirming that the letter was reviewed in 2019, that should be treated as the accurate reference point for when it was received and shared with the Duchess." Her team also said: "I think it is reasonable to recognise that she is doing her best to recall the precise timing of events that were not diarised at the time, and that any discrepancy of a few months is an understandable consequence of that passage of time."
Family scandal allegations
The clarification comes amid a family scandal. Thomas Markle Snr's son, Thomas Markle Jnr, claims to have discovered boxes of child sex images at his former home in the Philippines. Thomas Markle Snr vehemently denies the allegations, branding them "sick lies" and "bulls***".
In a furious response to his son, the retired lighting director stated: "I have no idea why Tom is trying to destroy me with these lies. I could never do what I'm being accused of. It's the worst thing anyone could accuse me of."
Met Police under scrutiny
The Metropolitan Police are facing scrutiny over their handling of the claims. Scotland Yard confirmed that the 2019 letter was sent to the MPS Protection Command to raise concerns about the Duchess's security. The force admitted: "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 Met is now urgently reviewing its handling of the matter and is considering whether to refer the matter to the police watchdog (IOPC). On Friday, a "deeply distressed" Meghan stated that the "troubling" allegations were the sole reason she distanced herself from her father and blocked him from having contact with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, insisting she was protecting them.
