Met Police confirm 2019 letter on Thomas Markle Sr. allegations sent only to Sussex office
The force stated the document detailing claims of offending outside Britain was not shared with other law enforcement agencies.
By Marco Kapoor ·
The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that they sent a 2019 letter containing allegations of "alleged offending" involving Thomas Markle Sr. to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The force stated the information was not passed to other law enforcement agencies.
The confirmation follows a report by The Sun newspaper detailing claims that Markle Sr. possessed child sexual abuse images. The paper reported that Meghan Markle's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., 60, told detectives in the Philippines he found "hundreds, if not thousands" of such images on computers and mobile phones. Markle Jr. said the devices were kept in four large boxes at his father's former home in Cebu.
Markle Sr. lived in the Philippines until he returned to the United States in May 2026 after suffering a stroke. According to The Sun, Markle Jr. also contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the US. Markle Sr. has denied the allegations, telling the Daily Mail that the accusations were "sick lies."
A Met spokesperson said the force received the letter in January 2019. The document made claims about offending outside Britain. The letter was sent to the Protection Command of the Metropolitan Police Service to raise concerns about the security of the Duchess of Sussex. "The letter was reviewed and a decision was made that it should be passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness," the spokesperson said.
The Met is reviewing how the matter was handled in 2019. The force is considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Meghan said through a spokesperson that she was "deeply distressed" by the news. She said a letter containing "troubling and disturbing allegations" about her father had been shared with her and that she was given assurances they were being investigated.
Meghan stated her decision to keep her father from having contact with her children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, was made to protect them. She and Prince Harry recently moved back to the UK from the US. Meghan initially said the letter was sent in 2018 but later confirmed it was 2019. A spokesperson said she misremembered the year by a few months.
Sources said Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations in 2019 to avoid jeopardizing any future investigation. They said speaking out could have led to legal action against her.
