The Duchess of Sussex has issued a statement after an apparent date discrepancy was highlighted by the Metropolitan Police on Saturday.
While addressing ongoing claims about her father, Thomas Markle Snr, Meghan, 45, said via a spokesperson that she is "doing her best to recall the precise timing of events that were not diarised" and that "any discrepancy of a few months is an understandable consequence of that passage of time."
The force said on Saturday that it received a letter in 2019 about a "number of claims" relating to the Duchess of Sussex's father, who is currently under investigation following the alleged discovery of boxes of child sex images at his home in the Philippines.
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On Friday, Meghan said she was made aware of "disturbing allegations" about her father in 2018. She said she was shown a letter sent to Scotland Yard eight years ago making "troubling" allegations against Thomas Markle Sr and she was assured that these were being investigated.
A Met Police spokesperson said on Saturday afternoon: "Following a thorough review of Met Police systems and records, we have confirmed that in January 2019, we received a letter containing a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.
"It was sent to the MPS Protection Command to raise concerns in relation to the security of the Duchess of Sussex.
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"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 statement continued: "The details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.
"The MPS is reviewing the handling of this matter in 2019 and considering whether a referral to the IOPC is necessary to review our approach."
Meghan Markle's full statement about the date discrepancy
Meghan's words, which were shared via a spokesperson following the Metropolitan Police's statement on Saturday afternoon, read in full: "In recalling events from more than seven years ago, without the benefit of a diary entry or contemporaneous record, it is understandable that she may have been mistaken by a few months.
"If the MPS holds a time-stamped record confirming that the letter was reviewed in 2019, that should be treated as the accurate reference point for when it was received and shared with the Duchess."
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The statement continued: "I think it is reasonable to recognise that she is doing her best to recall the precise timing of events that were not diarised at the time, and that any discrepancy of a few months is an understandable consequence of that passage of time."
How the allegations came to light
Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Jr, submitted a sworn statement to authorities in Cebu on 22 October 2026, after allegedly discovering child sexual abuse material among possessions he said belonged to his father, according to The Sun.
However, the Duchess of Sussex's half-sister Samantha Markle has strongly disputed her brother's account, accusing him, in The Daily Mail, of fabricating the claims.
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In an interview with the Daily Mail, Thomas Snr denied possessing child sex images, calling the accusations "sick lies". The Daily Mail also reported that his daughter, Samantha, denied the allegations, including her claim that Thomas Snr had not accessed the computers in question for about two years.
The court papers were filed in Cebu City, and The Sun reports that investigators from the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking on Thursday appointed a task force run by the specialist Women and Children’s Protection Centre, and that the FBI had confirmed receipt of the contents of Thomas Jnr’s affidavit.
"The FBI is aware of the allegations and will provide support, as appropriate, to the Philippine authorities," the FBI said in a statement to HELLO! on Friday.
"We will also investigate any related allegations of federal violations of U.S. law."
HELLO! has reached out to the WCPC for comment.