Met Police Confirm 2019 Sussex Letter Excluded Other Law Enforcement

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that they transmitted a 2019 letter to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The document contained allegations of "alleged offending" involving Prince Harry's father, Thomas Markle Sr. The force stated that the information was not passed to other law enforcement agencies.

Scotland Yard received the letter in January 2019. The document claimed Markle Sr. committed offenses outside of Britain. The Met said it sent the letter to its Protection Command to raise concerns regarding the security of the Duchess of Sussex. A spokesperson noted that after review, the force decided to pass the information to the royal couple's office for their awareness.

The confirmation follows reports from The Sun newspaper. The paper cited Thomas Markle Jr., Meghan's half-brother, who told detectives in the Philippines that he found a collection of images at his former home in Cebu. Markle Jr., 60, claimed he discovered hundreds or thousands of images on computers and mobile phones stored in four large boxes. Markle Sr. lived in that house until he returned to the United States in May following a stroke. Markle Jr. also stated he contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the US.

The Metropolitan Police said it is reviewing how the matter was handled in 2019. The force is considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. A spokesperson said the Met carried out a thorough review of its systems and records to determine the history of the letter.

Meghan Markle responded to the news on Friday through a spokesperson. She described herself as "deeply distressed" by the allegations. She said the letter contained "troubling and disturbing allegations" about her father. The Duchess said she was given assurances that the claims were being investigated. She stated that her decision to limit her father's contact with her children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, was made to protect them.

Thomas Markle Sr. denied the claims in a statement to the Daily Mail. He called the accusations "sick lies." Meghan initially said the letter was sent in 2018. She later corrected the date to 2019. A spokesperson explained that it was understandable she misremembered the year for events occurring more than seven years ago without a diary entry. The spokesperson said the Met's time-stamped record should be treated as the accurate reference point.

Sources indicated that Meghan could not speak publicly about the 2019 letter at the time. They said she wanted to avoid jeopardizing a potential future investigation. They also noted that speaking out could have led to legal action against her. The couple recently moved back to the United Kingdom from the United States.