Met Police admit 2019 abuse letter went only to Sussex office

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that they passed a 2019 letter containing allegations of 'alleged offending' against Thomas Markle Sr. directly to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The force stated that the letter was not shared with any other law enforcement agencies. This confirmation came after The Sun reported new details regarding the claims against the duchess's father.

Scotland Yard said it received the letter in January 2019. The document made several claims about offending that took place outside of Britain. A Met spokesperson explained that the letter was sent to the Protection Command to raise concerns about the Duchess's security. The spokesperson stated, '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 force added that it is currently reviewing how the matter was handled and is considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The renewed interest in the case follows reports from The Sun, which cited Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr. The 60-year-old told detectives in the Philippines that he found a stash of images belonging to their father at his former home in Cebu. Markle Jr. claimed he discovered 'hundreds, if not thousands' of such images on computers and mobile phones stored in four large boxes. Markle Sr. lived in the Philippines until he returned to the United States in May after suffering a stroke. The Sun also reported that Markle Jr. contacted the FBI in the US.

Thomas Markle Sr. has denied the allegations. He told the Daily Mail that the accusations were 'sick lies.' The duchess is estranged from her father, who has never met her children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five. The couple recently moved back to the UK from the US.

On Friday, Meghan said through a spokesperson that she was 'deeply distressed' by the news. Her statement noted that a letter with 'troubling and disturbing allegations' had been shared with her and that she was given assurances the matters were being investigated. She said her decision to keep her father from having contact with her children was made for one reason: to protect them. The duchess initially stated the letter was sent in 2018. She later confirmed she had misremembered the year and that it was 2019. A spokesperson said it was understandable she could be mistaken by a few months when recalling events from more than seven years ago without a diary entry.

Sources said Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations when she learned of them in 2019. They explained that she remained quiet to avoid jeopardizing any future investigation and to prevent potential legal action. The Metropolitan Police said it is treating any time-stamped record showing the letter was reviewed in 2019 as the accurate reference point.