Met Police admits 2019 letter on Meghan's father went uninvestigated as Philippines probes laptop

Met Police letter from 2019

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Saturday, 24 October, that it received a letter in January 2019 containing a number of claims about Thomas Markle, the father of the Duchess of Sussex. The force sent the letter to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex so they could read its contents, but did not pass the details to other law enforcement agencies. The Met said the claims were not investigated and that it is now reviewing how the matter was handled in 2019. It is also weighing whether to refer the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the body that oversees police conduct in England and Wales. Meghan had said on Friday, 23 October, that the letter reached police in 2018, and a spokesperson later told People she could be mistaken by a few months about the timing, since the events were more than seven years old and were never recorded.

Meghan's statement

Meghan issued a statement on Friday, 23 October, after reports that her father possessed child abuse images. She said she learned in 2018 of a letter sent to the royal protection unit of the Metropolitan Police that contained disturbing accusations against her father, and that she was assured they were being investigated. Her estrangement from her father dates back to 2018, when he pulled out of the royal wedding citing ill health. The BBC, citing sources close to the duchess, reports that she told him in a letter that he would never meet her children. Her statement made clear that she had cut off contact to protect them.

I am deeply distressed.

Philippine investigation

Philippine Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla said national police inspected the former Cebu home where Thomas Markle lived before returning to the United States months earlier. Officers found a laptop and what Remulla described as a stash of child pornography material. The laptop is under forensic examination, and Remulla said final results were expected within a week of his statement, which was sent on Saturday night. He said police would coordinate with their counterparts to act against Markle if enough evidence emerges. The BBC reports that a task force against anti-human trafficking and child sexual exploitation is investigating the matter. The FBI said on Friday it was aware of the allegations and would support Philippine authorities if needed.

The discovery and Markle's response

The Sun first reported that Meghan's half-brother found the images while going through boxes at their father's former residence. Stern.de, citing The Sun, said the material was stored in four boxes. Thomas Markle, 82, who is based in the United States and was recovering from a leg amputation, has rejected the accusations and denies possessing any such images. He told the Mail on Sunday that he paid for sex in the Philippines but denies sleeping with underage girls. Meghan has not had contact with her father since 2018, and the BBC reports that she and her husband, Prince Harry, have two children.

Open questions

The forensic results on the Philippine laptop and the Met's review of its 2019 handling remain open. Whether the Met refers the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct has not been decided. Meghan's account of the letter's timing differs from the police record, which dates its arrival to January 2019.