Met Police Confirm 2019 Markle Letter

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Saturday that it received a letter in 2019 containing multiple claims regarding Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. A Scotland Yard spokesperson provided the information to CBS News, marking the first official acknowledgment of the document's existence by London law enforcement.

Police officials stated the letter was forwarded to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex so they were aware of its contents. The specific allegations inside the letter were not shared with other law enforcement bodies at the time. The Metropolitan Police is now reviewing how the matter was processed in 2019. As part of that internal review, the force will decide whether to refer the case to the police watchdog.

The confirmation comes after a week of intense media coverage in Britain. The Sun reported on Thursday that Thomas Markle Jr., the father's son, reported his parent to authorities in the Philippines. The younger man allegedly discovered child abuse materials in storage boxes at the family home. By Friday, reports indicated that Philippine authorities were dealing with Markle over alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials. Markle denied the allegations in a report by The Daily Mail on Friday.

Meghan Markle responded to the developing story in a statement sent to CBS News on Friday. She described herself as deeply distressed by the reports. Meghan said she had known of the allegations since 2018 and that they had been shared with U.K. authorities that same year. Her statement noted that a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in 2018. That letter was subsequently shared with her and contained troubling and disturbing allegations against her father. She stated she was given assurances the matter was being investigated.

The Duchess explained her decision to keep her distance from her father was to protect her children. She said she hoped it could now be understood that, despite certain media publications' distortion over the years, her decision not to allow him contact with the children had one reason: to protect them.

A date discrepancy exists between the two accounts. Meghan referred to 2018, while Scotland Yard cited 2019. A spokesman for the duchess addressed the gap in comments to BBC News. He described the difference as an understandable consequence of that passage of time. The Metropolitan Police will determine if the handling of the letter requires external oversight.

The letter remains the central document in the timeline. It connects the private family dispute to official police records. The review of the 2019 handling will determine the next steps for the case.