Met admits it did not pass on 2019 letter about Meghan's father
The Metropolitan Police has admitted it did not share a 2019 letter with other law enforcement agencies. The letter made allegations about offending by Thomas Markle Sr, the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and the force says it is now reviewing how it handled the matter.
The Met, the force that polices London, said it received the letter in January 2019. The letter concerned alleged offending outside Britain. The force said it was sent to its Protection Command, the unit that handles security concerns, to raise worries about the Duchess's safety. The Met said it passed the information to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex "for awareness" but did not share details of the allegations with other agencies. The Guardian reported the force's statement on 24 October 2026.
The Met said it is reviewing its handling of the 2019 matter. It is also considering whether to refer the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the body that investigates complaints about police in England and Wales.
In a statement on Friday 23 October, Meghan said the Met had made her aware of the allegations and that she was deeply distressed by them. She said the letter shared with her made troubling allegations against her father. She said she had been given assurances that they were being investigated. Meghan also said she had broken off contact with her father and did not allow him to contact her children, to protect them.
Thomas Markle Sr has denied the allegations. He told the Daily Mail that they were "sick lies."
Separately, Philippine authorities are investigating Thomas Markle over alleged possession of child sexual abuse images, according to Reuters and the BBC, which both reported the investigation on 23 October. The BBC described him as the estranged father of Meghan. The Sun reported that Thomas Markle Jr, Meghan's half-brother, told detectives in the Philippines that he had found hundreds, if not thousands, of such images on computers. That account has not been tested in court.
The Met has not linked its 2019 handling to the Philippine inquiry. The two matters are separate threads of the same family story, and each has its own process. The Met's review and any referral to the IOPC will decide how the force's own conduct is examined. The Philippine investigation is for the authorities there.
Anyone who needs support around child abuse can contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.
