Police Confirm 2019 Letter About Meghan's Father

For the general public, the most immediate change is the official confirmation that law enforcement in London had a specific document regarding Meghan Markle's father on file. The Metropolitan Police, commonly known as Scotland Yard, stated on Saturday that they received a letter in 2019 containing a number of claims about Thomas Markle. This verification adds a layer of institutional record to the personal family drama that has dominated headlines this week.

The timeline of events leading to this point has been rapid and somewhat confusing. On Thursday, British tabloids reported that Markle had been reported to authorities in the Philippines by his son, Thomas Markle Jr. The younger man allegedly discovered child abuse materials in storage boxes at the family home in the Philippines. By Friday, reports indicated that Philippine authorities were dealing with Markle over alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials, though Markle denied the allegations through the Daily Mail.

The police confirmed that the 2019 letter was sent to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. However, the specific details of the allegations were not shared with other law enforcement agencies at that time. This distinction is important because it clarifies how the information was distributed within the British system.

Meghan addressed the situation in a statement sent to CBS News on Friday. She described herself as deeply distressed by the recent reports. She noted that she had known of the allegations since 2018 and that they had been shared with U.K. authorities at that time. Her statement explained that a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and the Royalty and Specialist Protection unit in 2018, which was subsequently shared with her.

In that statement, Meghan said the letter made troubling and disturbing allegations against her father. She claimed she was given assurances that these matters were being investigated. She also explained that she had kept her distance from her father to protect her children. 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.

There is a slight discrepancy in the dates provided by the two parties. Meghan refers to the letter being sent in 2018, while Scotland Yard confirms receiving it in 2019. A spokesman for the duchess addressed this in comments to BBC News, a partner of CBS News. He described any discrepancy of a few months as an understandable consequence of the passage of time.

Looking ahead, the Metropolitan Police said they will review how the matter was handled in 2019. As part of that internal process, they will decide whether to refer the case to the police watchdog. This review will likely determine if any procedural steps were missed during the initial investigation period.