Met Police Confirm 2019 Letter Contained Allegations About Meghan's Father

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that they shared a 2019 letter with the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The document contained allegations of 'alleged offending' involving Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle Sr. This disclosure followed reports that Markle Jr., 60, told detectives in the Philippines he found hundreds or thousands of child sexual abuse images on devices kept in boxes at his father's former home in Cebu.

The Met stated it received the letter in January 2019. The document made claims about offending that took place outside Britain. A spokesperson said the force sent the letter to the Protection Command to raise security concerns. They then decided to pass it to the Sussexes' office for their awareness. The Met did not share the information with other law enforcement agencies at the time.

The force is currently reviewing how it handled the matter in 2019. It is considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The Met said it carried out a thorough review of its systems and records to verify the timeline and distribution of the document.

Meghan spoke through a spokesperson on Friday to address the news. She described herself as deeply distressed and said her thoughts were with children who may have been harmed. She confirmed that a letter containing 'troubling and disturbing allegations' had been shared with her. She said she was given assurances that the claims were being investigated.

Meghan said her decision to keep her father from having contact with her children was made to protect them. She is estranged from Thomas Markle Sr., who has never met Prince Archie, seven, or Princess Lilibet, five. The couple recently moved back to the UK from the United States.

Meghan initially stated the letter was sent in 2018 but later corrected this to 2019. Her 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. The spokesperson noted that if the Met holds a time-stamped record showing the review occurred in 2019, that record should be treated as the accurate reference point.

Thomas Markle Sr. has denied the allegations. He told the Daily Mail that the accusations were 'sick lies.' Markle Jr. reported finding the images at the house in the Philippines where his father lived until returning to the US in May following a stroke. Markle Jr. also said he contacted the FBI in the US.

Sources said Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations in 2019. They explained that doing so could have jeopardized a future investigation. Speaking out also carried the risk of legal action against her.