Met Police Confirm 2019 Letter Detailing Allegations Against Thomas Markle

The Metropolitan Police in London confirmed on Saturday that it received a letter in 2019 containing multiple claims about Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. A spokesperson for the force verified the existence of the document to CBS News. The letter was forwarded to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex so they were aware of its contents. Police stated that the specific details of the allegations were not shared with other law enforcement agencies at that time.

This confirmation arrives after a series of reports emerged this week regarding Markle. The Sun reported on Thursday that Thomas Markle Jr., Markle’s son, reported his father to authorities in the Philippines. The younger Markle alleged he found child abuse materials in storage boxes at the family home in that country. By Friday, reports indicated that Philippine authorities were handling the matter concerning alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials. The Daily Mail reported that Markle denied the allegations on that same day.

Meghan issued a statement to CBS News on Friday describing herself as deeply distressed by the recent coverage. She stated that she had been aware of the allegations since 2018 and that they were shared with United Kingdom authorities at that time. Her statement noted that a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and the Royalty and Specialist Protection unit in 2018. It was subsequently shared with her and contained troubling allegations against her father. She said she was given assurances that the matter was under investigation.

The duchess also explained her decision to keep her distance from her father. She said this was done to protect her children. Meghan stated that despite media distortion over the years, her choice to limit his contact with them had one purpose: protection. A spokesman for the duchess addressed the difference in dates between her account and the police confirmation in comments to BBC News. He described any discrepancy of a few months as an understandable consequence of the passage of time.

The Metropolitan Police said it will review how the matter was handled in 2019. As part of that internal review, the force will decide whether to refer itself to the police watchdog.

This confirmation resolves a question about when the police first received written complaints. The force now has a documented record from 2019. The review process has begun.