The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it received a letter containing allegations about Thomas Markle Sr, the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in January 2019 but did not share the information with other law enforcement agencies. The disclosure comes as authorities in the Philippines investigate allegations that child sexual abuse material was found at his former home in Cebu City. Markle, 82, strongly denies the allegations, and forensic examinations are continuing.
What did the Metropolitan Police know?
Scotland Yard confirmed on Saturday, 24 October, that a review of its records established that officers received a letter in January 2019 containing allegations of offending outside the United Kingdom.
According to the force, the letter was sent to its Protection Command because of concerns relating to the security of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Officers reviewed the information and decided to pass it to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
However, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that the allegations were not forwarded to other law enforcement agencies.
In its statement reported by Sky News, the force acknowledged:
“The details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.”
Scotland Yard says it is reviewing how the information was handled and considering whether to refer the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
No public finding of police misconduct has been announced.
The admission raises questions about how officers assessed the information, whether it should have been referred to authorities outside Britain and what, if any, subsequent action was taken.
What was in the letter?
ITV News reported on 24 October that its journalists had examined a handwritten letter spanning several pages.
According to ITV, the document was written by someone close to the Markle family and contained a series of allegations concerning Thomas Markle Sr.
The broadcaster chose not to publish the specific accusations or identify individuals mentioned in the correspondence.
ITV reported that the letter was addressed to the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre, a specialist unit dealing with potential threats involving high-profile individuals.
An important discrepancy remains over the date of the correspondence.
Meghan initially recalled receiving the information in 2018, and ITV reported that the letter had been passed to her that year.
However, the Metropolitan Police subsequently confirmed that its records showed receipt in January 2019.
A spokesperson for the duchess accepted that the police’s documented date should be treated as the accurate reference point.
It has not been publicly established whether the allegations in that earlier correspondence directly concern the material now being investigated in the Philippines.
That distinction is important. The existence of the letter does not independently verify the accusations it contained.
Philippines launches investigation into alleged child sexual abuse material
The renewed scrutiny follows allegations reported by The Sun that Thomas Markle Jr, the duchess’s half-brother, discovered suspected child sexual abuse images among belongings at his father’s former residence in Cebu City.
Thomas Jr reportedly contacted authorities after finding the material, which he alleged was stored among personal belongings and electronic devices.
On Friday, 23 October, Philippine justice undersecretary Nicholas Ty confirmed to Reuters that the country’s specialist task force dealing with human trafficking and online child sexual exploitation was investigating the matter.
Philippine authorities have also confirmed that electronic equipment, including a laptop, is undergoing examination.
Interior minister Jonvic Remulla told The Guardian on Sunday that investigators expected to complete forensic analysis within approximately a week.
The findings have not yet been publicly released.
Philippine National Police chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr also confirmed that his force was coordinating with international law enforcement agencies, including those in the United States and United Kingdom.
According to Philippine news outlet SunStar, officers will consider appropriate legal action if the investigation establishes sufficient evidence.
The FBI has separately acknowledged awareness of the allegations and indicated that it would provide support to Philippine authorities where appropriate.
Thomas Markle strongly denies allegations
Thomas Markle Sr has rejected the accusations against him.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he described the claims as “sick lies” and denied possessing child sexual abuse material.
He has also disputed his son’s account of the discovered belongings and questioned why the accusations were being made.
In subsequent reporting carried by ITV News, Markle said he would cooperate with investigators and welcomed forensic examination of the relevant computer equipment.
He has reportedly been receiving medical care in Florida following major surgery in 2025.
The provenance, ownership and contents of the material under examination remain questions for investigators.
There has been no publicly confirmed criminal charge against Markle arising from the current Philippine investigation as of 25 October 2026.
The allegations must not be treated as established facts while the investigation continues.
Meghan says family estrangement was about protecting her children
The Duchess of Sussex issued a statement on Friday expressing distress at the latest allegations.
She explained that she had previously been made aware of troubling claims concerning her father and believed they were being investigated by the authorities.
Meghan said that her decision to maintain distance from him, including preventing contact with her children, had been taken to protect them.
Her statement challenges years of public speculation surrounding her estrangement from her father.
Their relationship became a subject of intense media coverage before her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018.
At the time, much of the reporting focused on staged paparazzi photographs and family disagreements.
The duchess’s latest comments suggest that allegations she became aware of also informed her decision to keep her distance.
However, the specifics of the earlier claims have not been publicly disclosed, and their relationship to the current investigation remains uncertain.
Sky News locates former Cebu apartment
On Sunday, 25 October, Sky News published footage of the building in Cebu City where Thomas Markle Sr had previously lived.
The report included exterior and interior footage of the property.
Watch the Sky News report on Thomas Markle’s former apartment.
The footage provides geographical context for the Philippine investigation.
However, locating the building does not independently establish the origin, ownership or contents of any material allegedly recovered there.
Those questions remain part of the investigation.
Could the Metropolitan Police have done more?
The Metropolitan Police’s admission has created a separate issue of institutional accountability.
The force received information alleging conduct outside the UK, assessed it through a unit responsible for royal protection and decided to pass it to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
It did not share the allegations with other law enforcement agencies.
That decision is now under review.
Several important questions remain unanswered:
- What assessment did officers make of the allegations in January 2019?
- Why was the information not referred to another law enforcement agency?
- Were any safeguarding concerns identified at the time?
- What assurances, if any, were given to the Duchess of Sussex about further investigation?
- Were the allegations in the letter connected to those now being investigated in the Philippines?
These are legitimate questions for the Metropolitan Police and any subsequent independent review.
It would, however, be premature to conclude that the force breached its duties or that different action in 2019 would necessarily have prevented any alleged wrongdoing.
What happens next?
The immediate focus is on the continuing forensic examination in the Philippines.
Investigators must establish what the recovered electronic material contains, whether any criminal offences are evidenced and whether the material can reliably be linked to a particular individual.
Philippine authorities have indicated that their findings will determine whether criminal charges are appropriate.
In Britain, the Metropolitan Police must decide whether its handling of the 2019 letter requires independent scrutiny.
The two inquiries concern different questions, but both could have significant implications for how allegations involving potential child exploitation are investigated and shared between law enforcement agencies.
For now, the allegations against Thomas Markle Sr remain unproven. He denies wrongdoing, and the outcome of the Philippine investigation is awaited.
Fish 4 News will continue to follow the forensic investigation and the Metropolitan Police review as further verified information becomes available.
