Met Police Audit Opens After 2019 Letter on Meghan's Father

London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed on Saturday that it received a formal letter in 2019 detailing allegations against Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. The confirmation follows a week of media reports alleging that Markle was reported to Philippine authorities by his son, Thomas Markle Jr., over the discovery of child abuse materials in storage boxes at their family home. The Metropolitan Police stated that the letter contained a number of claims and was forwarded to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. The force added that the specific details of the allegations were not shared with other law enforcement agencies at the time.

The Duchess of Sussex issued a statement on Friday expressing deep distress over the renewed scrutiny. She stated that she had known of the allegations since 2018 and that they were shared with U.K. authorities that year. Her statement noted that a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and the Royalty and Specialist Protection unit in 2018, which was later shared with her. She described the contents as troubling and disturbing, adding that she received assurances the matter was being investigated. This timeline creates a discrepancy with the police confirmation, which places the receipt of the letter in 2019.

A spokesman for the duchess told BBC News that any difference of a few months between the two accounts is an understandable consequence of the passage of time. The police have now launched an internal review to examine how the matter was handled in 2019. As part of this process, the Metropolitan Police will determine whether to refer the case to the independent police watchdog. The review comes as The Sun reported on Thursday that Markle was reported to Philippine authorities by his son, and The Daily Mail reported on Friday that Markle denied the allegations.

Meghan’s statement also addressed her decision to limit contact between her father and her children. She said she kept her distance to protect them and hoped it would be understood that this decision had one primary reason. The Duchess of Sussex noted that despite media distortions over the years, the decision not to allow contact was made specifically to protect her children from the alleged misconduct.

The Metropolitan Police spokesperson told CBS News of the letter’s existence on Saturday. The force’s review will assess the procedural steps taken when the letter was first received. The outcome of this internal audit will determine if further external oversight is required. The case highlights the intersection of private family disputes and public law enforcement records in high-profile situations.