Metropolitan Police Review Handling of 2019 Correspondence Regarding Thomas Markle

London’s Metropolitan Police has verified that it accepted a letter in 2019 which outlined several serious claims about Thomas Markle, the parent of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. A spokesperson for Scotland Yard disclosed this documentation to CBS News on Saturday, marking a formal acknowledgment of the file's existence in their records.

The police department stated that the document was forwarded to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex so they could be informed of its arrival. Notably, the specific details within those allegations were not distributed to other law enforcement bodies at the time.

This official confirmation arrives after a week of intense media attention. Reports from The Sun on Thursday indicated that Thomas Markle Jr. had reported his father to officials in the Philippines. The son allegedly discovered materials related to child abuse in storage units at the family residence in the country. By Friday, it became clear that Philippine authorities were addressing Markle concerning the alleged possession of such materials. The Daily Mail noted on the same day that Markle had disputed the claims against him.

Speaking to CBS News on Friday, Meghan expressed that she was deeply upset by the unfolding news. She noted that she had been aware of the allegations since 2018 and that these had been presented to British authorities at that earlier date.

In her written statement, Meghan detailed that a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and the Royalty and Specialist Protection unit in 2018. She explained that this document was later shared with her and contained troubling allegations about her father. She recalled being assured at the time that an investigation was underway.

The duchess also addressed her limited contact with her father, stating that the distance was maintained to shield her children. She expressed hope that it would now be clear that, despite years of media misinterpretation, her decision to restrict his access to the children had one primary purpose: their protection.

A key point of difference remains the timeline. Meghan’s account places the initial reporting in 2018, while Scotland Yard confirms receipt in 2019. A spokesman for the duchess, speaking to BBC News, a partner of CBS News, suggested that any gap of a few months was a logical result of the time that has passed since the events.

Following these developments, the Metropolitan Police has announced it will conduct a review of how the matter was processed in 2019. This internal examination will determine if the force needs to refer itself to the police oversight body for further scrutiny.