Met Police confirm 2019 letter on Markle allegations sent only to Sussex office

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that it sent a 2019 letter containing abuse allegations against Thomas Markle Sr. directly to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Scotland Yard stated it received the letter in January 2019. The document detailed claims of offending outside Britain. A force spokesperson said the information was passed to the Sussex office for their awareness but was not shared with other law enforcement agencies.

The confirmation followed reports from The Sun that Markle Jr., 60, told detectives in the Philippines he found hundreds or thousands of child sexual abuse images on devices in four boxes at his father's former home in Cebu. Markle Sr. lived in the Philippines until returning to the US in May following a stroke. Markle Jr. also said he contacted the FBI.

Markle Sr. denied the claims in a statement to the Daily Mail, calling them sick lies.

Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, said through a spokesperson that she was deeply distressed by the news. She stated that a letter with troubling and disturbing allegations had been shared with her and that she was given assurances the matter was being investigated. She said her decision to limit her father's contact with Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, was made to protect them. The couple recently moved back to the UK from the US.

Meghan initially said the letter was sent in 2018 but later corrected the date to 2019. A spokesperson noted it was understandable she misremembered the year after more than seven years without a diary entry. The spokesperson said a time-stamped record from the Met should be the accurate reference point.

The Met said it is reviewing how the matter was handled in 2019 and is considering a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Sources said Meghan could not speak publicly in 2019 to avoid jeopardizing a future investigation or facing legal action.