Royal security files: Met confirms 2019 letter shared with Sussex office
Scotland Yard revealed it passed a document detailing claims against Meghan's father to the duchess's team but withheld it from other agencies.
By Carolina Wood ·
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that it sent a 2019 letter containing allegations of "alleged offending" against Thomas Markle Sr to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The revelation follows reports published on Friday stating that Markle Sr possessed images of child sexual abuse.
Scotland Yard stated that the letter arrived in January 2019 and outlined claims of offending outside Britain. A spokesperson for the force said the document was forwarded to the protection command to raise security concerns. The force decided to share the information with the royal office for their awareness. It did not share the letter with other law enforcement agencies.
The Sun newspaper reported that Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, told detectives in the Philippines he found a large cache of images at their father's former home in Cebu. Markle Jr, 60, said he discovered "hundreds, if not thousands" of such images on computers and mobile phones stored in four large boxes. The elder Markle lived in the Philippines until a stroke forced his return to the US in May. Markle Jr also told the newspaper that he had contacted the FBI.
Thomas Markle Sr denied the allegations in a comment to the Daily Mail, calling the accusations "sick lies." The Metropolitan Police said it is reviewing how the matter was handled in 2019. The force is considering whether to refer the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Meghan spoke through a spokesperson on Friday, describing herself as "deeply distressed" by the news. She said her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed. The duchess confirmed that a letter containing "troubling and disturbing allegations" had been shared with her. She stated that she was given assurances the claims were being investigated. She said her decision to limit contact between her father and her children was made to protect them.
The duchess is estranged from her father, who has not met Prince Archie, seven, or Princess Lilibet, five. Harry and Meghan recently moved back to the UK from the US. Meghan initially said the letter was sent in 2018. Her team later corrected this to 2019, noting it was understandable she might be mistaken about events from more than seven years prior. The spokesperson said a time-stamped record from the Met 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 explained that silence was intended to avoid jeopardizing a potential investigation and to reduce the risk of legal action against her.
