Met Police Review 2019 Letter Containing Abuse Allegations About Duchess of Sussex’s Father

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that in January 2019 it received a letter containing several claims concerning alleged wrongdoing by Thomas Markle Sr outside the United Kingdom. The correspondence was sent to the Met’s Protection Command to alert officials to possible security issues for the Duchess of Sussex and was subsequently forwarded to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness, but the details were not disclosed to other police forces.

After Meghan Markle said in 2018 she had been shown the same letter and assured it was under investigation, the Met announced a review of its 2019 handling of the case and is weighing whether to refer the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The allegations originated from her half-brother Thomas Markle Jr, who claimed to have discovered child-abuse images among his father’s belongings in the Philippines and reported them to Philippine authorities and the U.S. FBI.

The letter also mentioned concerns about the security of the Duchess. The Met said it is examining its procedures and has not shared the claims with any other law-enforcement agency.