The Metropolitan Police confirmed it passed a letter featuring claims of alleged offending outside the UK by Meghan’s father Thomas Markle Sr to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex but did not share details with other law enforcement agencies.
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, adding it was “reviewing the handling of this matter” including whether the force needs to be referred to the police watchdog.
It comes after authorities in the Philippines said they are investigating allegations that Thomas Markle Sr, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, had a hoard of child sex abuse images.
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.
“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 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.”
The Duchess of Sussex said she had been made aware of allegations about her father (Annabel Lee-Ellis/PA)
PA Wire
According to The Sun, Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, alleged that he found a stash of images belonging to their father at his former home in the Philippines.
He reportedly told police in the country that he discovered the child abuse pictures and videos mixed up with innocent family mementos.
The newspaper said he also contacted FBI investigators in the US in July.
Meghan became estranged from her former TV lighting director father in the run-up to her 2018 royal wedding after he was caught staging paparazzi photographs.
Mr Markle did not attend the wedding, leaving the King to accompany Meghan down the aisle and meaning the only member of her family present was her mother, Doria Ragland.
Meghan was the only child of Mr Markle’s marriage to Ms Ragland, though he has two children, Samantha and Thomas Jr, from an earlier marriage.
In 2021, Meghan won a High Court privacy and copyright claim against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over articles that reproduced parts of a “personal and private” handwritten letter she wrote to Mr Markle in a bid to get him to stop talking to the press.
She wrote the emotional five-page letter to him in August 2018 after taking advice from two unnamed senior royals.
In 2025, Mr Markle moved to the Philippines for a new life after suffering a series of strokes.