The Metropolitan Police has officially confirmed that it received a letter in 2019 containing serious allegations regarding Thomas Markle Snr, the estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex. The force is now reviewing its handling of the matter to determine whether a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is required.
The confirmation follows a public statement from Meghan Markle, who revealed that she had been aware of “troubling and disturbing” allegations against her father since 2018. The Duchess stated that the Met Police’s Royalty and Specialist Protection command had shared the contents of a letter with her at that time, and that she had been given assurances that the claims were being investigated.
“I am deeply distressed at the news that has come to light in the last 24 hours, and my thoughts are with any children who may have been harmed,” Meghan said. She further clarified that these allegations were the primary reason for her decision to limit contact between her father and her children, Archie and Lilibet. “I hope it can now be understood that… any distance from my father and my choice to not allow him to have contact with our children, was for one reason: to protect them.”
The current investigation stems from reports that Philippine authorities are probing claims regarding the possession of child sexual abuse imagery. Officials in the Philippines, including justice undersecretary Nicholas Ty, confirmed that a specialist task force in Cebu is actively investigating the matter after receiving evidence—including a laptop—reportedly provided by Thomas Markle’s son, Thomas Markle Jnr.
In an official update today, a Met Police spokesperson explained the force’s involvement: “Following a thorough review of Met Police systems and records, we have confirmed that in January 2019, we received a letter containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.”
The statement noted that the letter was originally intended to raise concerns regarding the security of the Duchess. The force confirmed it was shared with the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their “awareness,” though they clarified that the details were not shared with other international law enforcement agencies at that time.
Thomas Markle Snr has vehemently denied the allegations, describing them as “horrifying” and “the worst thing anyone could accuse me of.” His daughter, Samantha Markle, has also come to his defense, claiming that the computers in question had been out of his possession for two years and characterizing the accusations as entirely unsubstantiated.
As the investigation continues in the Philippines, the Metropolitan Police maintains that it is conducting an internal inquiry into its own procedures from 2019 to ensure all protocols were followed correctly.
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