Met Police Confirm 2019 Royal Security Disclosure

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Friday that they shared a 2019 letter with the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The document contained allegations of offending by Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle Sr. The force stated the information was not passed to other law enforcement agencies at the time.

Scotland Yard said it received the letter in January 2019. The document raised concerns about offenses committed outside Britain. A Met spokesperson said the letter was sent to the Protection Command to flag security concerns for the Duchess. The force decided to share the details with the Sussex office for their awareness.

The disclosure followed reports in The Sun that Markle's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, found a stash of child sexual abuse images. Markle Jr, 60, told detectives in the Philippines he discovered hundreds or thousands of images on devices stored in four boxes at a home in Cebu. He stated he contacted the FBI after the discovery. Markle Sr lived in that house until a stroke brought him back to the United States in May.

Markle Sr denied the claims in an interview with the Daily Mail, calling them sick lies. The Met is currently reviewing how the 2019 matter was handled. The force is considering a self-referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct regarding its initial decision-making process.

Meghan Markle said through a spokesperson that she was deeply distressed by the news. She noted that a letter with troubling allegations had been shared with her in 2018. She later corrected this to 2019, citing a lack of contemporaneous records from over seven years ago. The spokesperson said a time-stamped record from the Met would serve as the accurate reference point.

The Duchess said she was given assurances that the allegations were being investigated. She explained that her decision to limit contact between her father and her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was made solely to protect them. The couple recently moved back to the United Kingdom from the United States.

Sources indicated that Meghan could not speak publicly about the letter in 2019. Doing so might have jeopardized a future investigation or triggered legal action. The Met's confirmation ends a period of silence regarding the specific timing and distribution of the document.