Met Police: 2019 Markle Letter Sent Only to Sussex Office

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that a 2019 letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle Sr was sent exclusively to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The force stated that the document was not shared with other law enforcement agencies. This clarification follows reports that Markle Sr possessed child sexual abuse images found at his former home in the Philippines.

Scotland Yard said it received the letter in January 2019. The document detailed claims of offending outside Britain. The Met routed the information to its Protection Command to address security concerns regarding the Duchess of Sussex. A spokesperson said the letter was reviewed and passed to the Sussex office for their awareness. The force is now reviewing how the matter was handled and considering a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The Sun reported that Thomas Markle Jr, 60, told detectives in the Philippines that he found hundreds or thousands of images on computers and phones. The items were kept in four large boxes at a house in Cebu. Markle Sr lived in the Philippines until returning to the United States in May after a stroke. Markle Jr said he contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the US regarding the discovery.

Thomas Markle Sr denied the allegations in an interview with the Daily Mail. He called the accusations sick lies. On Friday, Meghan Markle said through a spokesperson that she was deeply distressed by the news. She said her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed. She confirmed that a letter with troubling allegations had been shared with her and that she was told they were being investigated.

Meghan stated that her decision to limit her father's contact with her children was made to protect them. Prince Archie is seven and Princess Lilibet is five. The children have never met their grandfather. Meghan and Prince Harry recently moved back to the United Kingdom from the US. Her initial statement placed the letter in 2018, but she later corrected this to 2019. A spokesperson said the date mix-up was understandable given the lack of a contemporaneous record from more than seven years ago.

Sources indicated that Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations in 2019. The silence was intended to avoid jeopardizing a future investigation. Speaking out earlier could have triggered legal action against her. The Met said a time-stamped record showing the letter was reviewed in 2019 should be treated as the accurate reference point.