Met Police Confirm 2019 Letter Contained Claims About Meghan's Father

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Saturday that it received a letter in 2019 containing multiple claims about Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. A Scotland Yard spokesperson provided the information to CBS News, marking the first official verification of the document's existence and its specific year of receipt.

Police stated that the letter was forwarded to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. The agency noted that the specific allegations within the letter were not shared with other law enforcement bodies at the time.

The confirmation arrives amid new reports regarding Markle's legal status in the Philippines. The Sun reported on Thursday that Markle's son, Thomas Markle Jr., reported his father to Philippine authorities after allegedly finding child abuse materials in storage boxes at their family home. By Friday, reports indicated that local authorities were addressing the matter, while The Daily Mail noted that Markle had denied the allegations.

Meghan addressed the news in a statement sent to CBS News on Friday. She described herself as deeply distressed by the reports and stated she had known of the allegations since 2018. According to her statement, a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in 2018, and she was subsequently shared with those findings. She said she was given assurances that the matter was under investigation.

A discrepancy exists between the two accounts regarding the timeline. Meghan refers to a 2018 submission, while the Metropolitan Police confirms a 2019 receipt. A spokesman for the duchess told BBC News that any difference of a few months was an understandable consequence of the passage of time.

The Metropolitan Police announced it will review how the matter was handled in 2019. As part of this internal audit, the force will determine whether to refer itself to the police watchdog.