Met Police Confirm 2019 Letter on Markle Allegations Sent to Sussex Office

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a 2019 letter containing allegations of offending involving Thomas Markle Sr was delivered directly to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The admission resolves a question raised this week about whether the force had shared the information with other agencies. The letter, received in January 2019, outlined claims of activity outside Britain.

A Met spokesperson stated that the force conducted a thorough review of its systems and records. The document was sent to the Protection Command of the Metropolitan Police Service to raise security concerns for the Duchess. "The letter was reviewed and a decision was made that it should be passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness," the spokesperson said. The force noted that the information was not passed to other law enforcement agencies.

The disclosure follows reports from The Sun that Thomas Markle Jr, 60, discovered images belonging to his father at a former residence in Cebu, Philippines. Markle Jr told detectives that he found "hundreds, if not thousands" of images on computers and mobile phones stored in four large boxes. Thomas Markle Sr lived in the Philippines until returning to the United States in May following a stroke. Markle Jr also said he contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the US.

Thomas Markle Sr has denied the claims. In an interview with the Daily Mail, he described the accusations as "sick lies." The Metropolitan Police is currently reviewing how the matter was handled in 2019. The force is considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, said through a spokesperson that she was "deeply distressed" by the news. She stated that her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed. The duchess confirmed that a letter with "troubling and disturbing allegations" had been shared with her. She said she was given assurances that the claims were being investigated.

Meghan stated that her decision to limit her father's contact with her children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, was made to protect them. The couple recently moved back to the UK from the US. Meghan initially said the letter arrived in 2018 but later confirmed it was 2019. A spokesperson explained that the duchess could be mistaken by a few months when recalling events from more than seven years ago without a diary entry.

Sources indicated that Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations in 2019 to avoid jeopardizing any future investigation. They added that speaking out could have led to legal action against her. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that if it holds a time-stamped record showing the letter was reviewed in 2019, that record should be treated as the accurate reference point.