London's Metropolitan Police has confirmed that it passed a letter containing allegations about Thomas Markle, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, to Meghan's office in early 2019 — and that it did not share the allegations with any other law enforcement agency.
The statement, issued on Saturday, follows a week in which the story has dominated Britain's front pages. On Friday, Meghan said the news about her father was "very distressing" and said she had been told by British police about a letter containing allegations against him after her wedding in 2018. The Met's review now gives a different date, and a fuller account of what happened to the letter.
"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," a Met spokesperson said. "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 force said the letter was sent to its Protection Command because it raised concerns about the security of the Duchess of Sussex. It is now reviewing how the matter was handled in 2019 and considering whether a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the police watchdog, is needed.
The confirmation comes after authorities in the Philippines said on Friday that they were investigating Thomas Markle, 82, over allegations that he possessed child sexual abuse images. Those allegations have not been proven, and no charge has been reported. Thomas Markle has denied the claims, telling the Daily Mail they were untrue and "sick lies". Reuters said it was unable to reach him for comment.
Meghan's account and the Met's record differ by a few months. She said she was informed about the letter in 2018, after her wedding to Prince Harry. The Met places its receipt in January 2019, eight months after the wedding. A spokesperson for the Sussexes said on Saturday that it was "understandable" Meghan "may have been mistaken" on the date, and that the Met's record "should be treated as the accurate reference point."
Meghan has been out of contact with her father since the run-up to her 2018 wedding, which he did not attend.
For now, three things are established, and three are not. It is established that the Met received the letter in January 2019, that it passed it to Harry and Meghan's office, and that it did not share the details with other forces. It is not established whether the allegations in the letter are true, whether the Philippine investigation will lead to charges, or whether the Met's handling in 2019 fell short of the standards expected of it. The watchdog review, if it goes ahead, will be the first formal test of that last question.
Reporting based on Reuters, The Times and BBC coverage. The allegations against Thomas Markle remain unproven and he denies them.