Met Police Confirm 2019 Letter on Meghan Markle's Father Sent to Her Office

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that they passed a letter from 2019 to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The document contained allegations of offending involving Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle Sr. The force stated the letter was not shared with other law enforcement agencies.

The confirmation followed reports that Markle Sr possessed images of child sexual abuse. The Metropolitan Police said it received the letter in January 2019. The letter made claims about offenses committed outside Britain. A spokesperson for the force said the letter was sent to the Protection Command of the Metropolitan Police Service to raise security concerns for the Duchess.

The Sun newspaper reported that Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, found the images. Markle Jr, 60, told detectives in the Philippines that he discovered hundreds or thousands of such images. He found them on computers and mobile phones stored in four large boxes at their father's former home in Cebu. Markle Sr lived in that house until returning to the United States in May after a stroke. The newspaper also reported that Markle Jr contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Markle Sr has denied the claims. He told the Daily Mail that the accusations were sick lies. The Metropolitan Police said it conducted a thorough review of its systems and records regarding the 2019 document. The force is currently reviewing how the matter was handled. It is considering whether to refer the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Meghan Markle issued a statement on Friday through a spokesperson. She said she was deeply distressed by the news and her thoughts were with any children who may have been harmed. She confirmed that a letter containing troubling and disturbing allegations about her father had been shared with her. She stated she was given assurances that the matters were being investigated.

The Duchess said her decision to keep her father from having contact with her children was made to protect them. She is estranged from Markle Sr, who has never met her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. The couple recently moved back to the United Kingdom from the United States.

Meghan initially said the letter was sent in 2018 in her statement. She later corrected the year to 2019. Her spokesperson said it was understandable she could be mistaken by a few months when recalling events from more than seven years ago. The spokesperson noted that a time-stamped record held by the Metropolitan Police should be treated as the accurate reference point.

Sources indicated that Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations in 2019. They said this was to avoid jeopardizing any future investigation. They added that speaking out could have led to legal action against her.