London's Metropolitan Police confirmed Saturday that it received a letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle Sr., the estranged father of the Duchess of Sussex, in January 2019. A Scotland Yard spokesperson told CBS News that the letter made "a number of claims" about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom and was passed to the office of Prince Harry and Meghan for their awareness.
However, the Metropolitan Police acknowledged that "the details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies," according to reports from multiple outlets. The letter had been reviewed by the Met's Protection Command before being forwarded to the Sussexes' office. Scotland Yard said Saturday that it will review how the matter was handled in 2019 and decide whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the police watchdog.
The confirmation regarding the 2019 letter surfaced as fresh allegations emerged against Markle Sr. On Friday, it was reported that Philippine authorities launched an investigation after his son, Thomas Markle Jr., claimed to have discovered child sexual abuse materials among his father's belongings at a property in the Philippines. A spokesperson for the Philippine National Police told CBS News that investigators are examining the nature and origin of the materials and whether they violate Philippine law, with U.S. authorities offering assistance if needed.
Meghan addressed the situation in a statement sent to CBS News on Friday, saying she was "deeply distressed" by the recent reports. She stated that she had been made aware of "troubling and disturbing" allegations against her father in 2018 and that a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection at that time. "I was given assurances that these were being investigated," she said. She explained that her decision to keep her children away from their grandfather was intended to protect them: "I hope it can now be understood that, despite certain media publications' distortion over the years, 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."
A discrepancy emerged regarding the timing of the letter. Meghan's statement indicated it was sent in 2018, while Scotland Yard confirmed it was received in January 2019. A spokesperson for the Sussexes acknowledged the discrepancy to BBC News, stating that "any discrepancy of a few months" was "an understandable consequence of that passage of time" given the seven-year gap since the events occurred.
Thomas Markle Sr., 82, has denied the allegations against him. According to reports, the letter allegedly accused him of sexually abusing a child and claimed he had spoken about traveling to the Philippines and Thailand to abuse children. When the alleged child sexual abuse material was reportedly discovered by his son, Markle Sr. denied possessing such material, telling the Daily Mail: "I have never downloaded anything like that in my life" and offering to have his computers forensically examined. The allegations have not been substantiated, and the Metropolitan Police confirmed it has not previously investigated Markle Sr. and is not currently investigating him.
Meghan, who recently returned to Britain with Prince Harry and their children, said she was willing to assist investigators in pursuing justice for any victims. "Although the breadth of what has now been uncovered is more sickening than one could ever imagine, my sincerest hope is that justice will be fully served and that the priority remains the safety and protection of innocent children," she stated.
