Police watchdog to investigate Met's handling of 2019 letter about Thomas Markle
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the body that oversees complaints about police in England and Wales, has decided to launch an independent investigation into how the Metropolitan Police, known as the Met, handled a 2019 letter about Thomas Markle. The Guardian reported the decision on 30 October 2026.
The Met made a voluntary conduct referral to the IOPC, sending its own handling of the letter to the watchdog for review. The letter was written by Roslyn Loveless, Thomas Markle's former wife. The IOPC said it views the claims in the letter as potentially alleging serious offending.
The letter made claims about Mr Markle's activities in the United States, the Philippines and Thailand. The Met said it did not investigate the letter itself because the allegations related to potential unlawful activity overseas. Met commander Adam Slonecki said the letter was sent to the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre.
The IOPC investigation will examine who in the Met decided not to pass the claims to police forces in the countries where wrongdoing by Mr Markle was alleged. It will also examine whether Met policies and procedures were followed in handling the letter.
A separate question has been referred to the watchdog. The Met asked whether passing the letter to the office of the Duchess of Sussex could have breached data protection rules. The IOPC has decided it will not investigate that part of the matter.
The Met has said it sent the allegations letter to the Duchess of Sussex and not to other law enforcement bodies, as Reuters reported on 24 October 2026. The force is now sending details of the letter to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and to law enforcement in the Philippines and Thailand.
Mr Markle, who is 82, is under investigation by authorities in the Philippines over claims of child sexual abuse, which he denies. Philippine authorities have said they are investigating him over allegations that he possessed child sexual abuse images, according to Reuters.
The IOPC's investigation has been announced, and no findings have yet been reported. The watchdog's inquiry will determine how the Met handled the letter, not whether the claims in it are true.
