London police confirm receipt of 2019 letter with allegations against Meghan Markle's father

Police confirmed receipt of the letter

London's Metropolitan Police confirmed on Saturday that in January 2019 it received a letter containing 'a number of allegations' about suspected offences outside the United Kingdom, concerning Thomas Markle — the father of Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's wife. According to a spokesperson for the force, the letter was reviewed and a decision was made to pass it to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex 'for their information', AFP reports.

The allegations and Meghan's response

The day before, on Friday, Meghan said she was 'deeply shocked' by allegations that her father possessed images containing child sexual content. She said she had blocked contact between him and her children because of previous 'alarming and disturbing' claims. The Sun and Daily Mail newspapers reported that the images were allegedly found among Markle's belongings at his former home in the Philippines. He denies all the allegations. Meghan also said that in 2018 she saw a letter with similar allegations sent to the Metropolitan Police and the royal protection unit.

Contradiction over the investigation

Meghan said she was 'given assurances' that the allegations against her father 'were being investigated'. However, a source familiar with the situation said the police did not investigate the matter. The police statement says that 'the details of the allegations in the letter were not passed to other law enforcement agencies'. The force added that it is reviewing its handling of the matter, including deciding whether to involve the police watchdog.

Thomas Markle's position and action abroad

Thomas Markle, who is reportedly currently in a rehabilitation facility in Florida, called the allegations against him 'sick lies' in a conversation with the Daily Mail. According to British media, the Philippine authorities are investigating the allegations. In the US, an FBI spokesperson said the agency 'is aware of the allegations and will provide support to the Philippine authorities if necessary'.

Context and significance

Prince Harry, the second son of King Charles III, married the American actress Meghan at Windsor Castle in May 2018. The couple left Britain and stepped down from royal duties in 2020, but in August they unexpectedly returned with their two children to live in the United Kingdom. The situation is significant because of the contradiction that has emerged: Meghan claims she was promised an investigation, while a source says there was none, and the police admit they did not pass the materials to other agencies. The outcome of the police review will determine whether the case is referred to the watchdog; meanwhile, the substantive investigation is being conducted by the Philippine authorities, with possible FBI support.