Met Police Refers Itself to Watchdog Over 2019 Letter About Thomas Markle Sr
The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the body that oversees complaints and serious conduct matters involving police in England and Wales. The referral concerns how the force handled a letter it received in 2019 containing allegations about Thomas Markle Sr, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan. The Guardian reported the referral on 29 October 2026.
The letter reached the force in January 2019. It was addressed to the Met's protection command, the unit that guards people at risk, and specifically to its fixated threats assessment centre, the team that assesses people who may pose a danger to public figures. The letter raised concerns about the security of the Duchess of Sussex. However, it did not contain information specifically about security. It made claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.
The Met passed the letter to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex so that they would be aware of it. At the time, it did not share the details of the allegations with other law enforcement agencies. The force's Directorate of Professional Standards, its internal unit for checking officers' conduct, has carried out an initial review of what was done after the letter arrived. Commander Adam Slonecki leads the protection command.
The Met now says it intends to refer the allegations in the letter to relevant law enforcement agencies overseas. It expects that process to be completed in the coming days.
The wider case is separate in its origins but has run alongside the referral. Police in the Philippines are investigating suspected child sexual abuse images reportedly found at Thomas Markle Sr's former home there. Thomas Markle Jr told the Sun that he found a stash of such images belonging to his father at that home, and that he reported it to local police and the FBI, the United States federal police agency. Thomas Markle Sr has admitted paying for sex in the Philippines. He denies possessing illicit material.
These are allegations, and none has been tested in court. The IOPC referral asks an independent body to examine the force's handling of the 2019 letter. The Met has not said what the watchdog will find, and the overseas referrals are still under way.
Thomas Markle is the father of Meghan, wife of Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. The Philippine investigation was first reported by Reuters in October 2026, and the Met's own review and referral were made public on 29 October.
For readers wanting to follow the story, the key points are simple. The Met received a letter in 2019, passed it to the Sussex office, and did not share its contents with other agencies at the time. The force has now asked the IOPC to look at that handling. Further updates are likely to come from the IOPC, the Met and the Philippine authorities.
