Police Review Letter About Allegations Against Meghan’s Father

London’s Metropolitan Police has confirmed it received a letter in January 2019 containing “a number of claims” about alleged offending by Thomas Markle, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s father. The force said the alleged offences were outside the United Kingdom and that the letter was referred to its Protection Command over security concerns relating to Meghan, as well as to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The Met said it did not pass the letter to other agencies and is reviewing how it handled the matter, including whether the police watchdog should be asked to investigate. The confirmation follows Meghan’s account that she was told in 2018 about “disturbing allegations” concerning her father and that this led her to keep her children away from him. International media have reported allegations that child sexual abuse material was found at Markle’s former home in the Philippines. Markle denied possessing the images in an interview with the Daily Mail, describing the accusations as “sick lies.” Authorities in the Philippines are investigating the allegations. An FBI spokesperson said the bureau was aware of them and would support Philippine authorities as appropriate. The article also provides family and royal context: Prince Harry married Meghan at Windsor Castle in May 2018, and the couple left Britain and stepped back from royal duties in 2020. The article reports that they returned to the United Kingdom with their two children in August.

The Metropolitan Police received a letter making “a number of claims” against Thomas Markle, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s father, in 2019, a Scotland Yard spokesperson told CBS News. Police said they forwarded the letter to the Duke and Duchess’s office for their awareness, but did not share its allegations with other law enforcement agencies. The police said they would review how the matter was handled and decide whether to refer themselves to the police watchdog. The report follows news that authorities in the Philippines are investigating Markle over alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials. The Sun reported that Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., alerted authorities after allegedly finding such materials in storage boxes at their father’s home. The Daily Mail reported that Markle denied the allegations. Meghan said she was “deeply distressed” by the reports and had known of the allegations since 2018. In a statement, she said a letter had been sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection that year, then shared with her. She said she had been assured the allegations were being investigated. Her spokesperson responded to the reported 2019 date by saying that a discrepancy of a few months was understandable given the passage of time. Meghan also said her estrangement from her father, and her decision not to let him contact her children, were intended to protect them. The article notes that she and Prince Harry recently moved back to Britain with their children.

Meghan Markle said she was deeply distressed by allegations that images depicting child sexual abuse were found at her father Thomas Markle Sr.’s former home in Cebu, Philippines. The report, first described by The Sun, says Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., discovered the material while clearing out the property. He said he reported the alleged discovery to Philippine police and contacted the FBI. Philippine National Bureau of Investigation director Melvin Matibag told the Associated Press that the FBI had asked Philippine agencies to assist in examining the allegations. The NBI and national police were involved, but authorities had not confirmed whether the suspected material had been turned over or whether potential victims had been identified. Meghan also referred to a letter she sent to the Metropolitan Police Service’s Royal and Specialist Protection unit in 2018. She said it made troubling allegations about her father and that she had been assured they were being investigated. She explained that her estrangement from him and her decision not to allow contact with her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, were intended to protect them. She expressed hope that justice would be served and that children’s safety would remain the priority. Thomas Markle Sr., 82, denied the accusations, saying he was shocked and hurt by his son’s claims and could not have done what he was accused of. The article notes that he had been living in the Philippines earlier in the year, suffered a stroke, underwent an amputation of his left leg, and later returned to the United States. It also recounts the longstanding, widely reported strain in his relationship with Meghan, including his absence from her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. The allegations remain under investigation and have not been established as fact.