Royal Security Breach: Met Police Admit Sharing 2019 Letter on Markle with Sussex Office

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed a 2019 letter containing allegations of "alleged offending" involving Thomas Markle Sr was sent directly to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The revelation resolves a conflict over whether the document, received in January 2019, was shared with other law enforcement bodies or kept internal to protect the Duchess.

A Met spokesperson stated that the letter was reviewed by the Protection Command and a decision was made to pass it to the Sussex office for their awareness. The force explicitly noted that the information was not passed to "other law enforcement agencies." The letter made claims about offending that occurred outside Britain. The police are currently reviewing how the matter was handled in 2019 and are considering whether to refer the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The confirmation followed reports that Meghan Markle’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, discovered a stash of child sexual abuse images belonging to their father. Markle Jr, 60, told detectives in the Philippines that he found "hundreds, if not thousands" of images on computers and mobile phones stored in four large boxes at their father’s home in Cebu. Markle Sr lived in that house until returning to the US in May following a stroke. Markle Jr also stated he had contacted the FBI.

Thomas Markle Sr has denied the allegations, describing the accusations as "sick lies" in a statement to the Daily Mail. Meghan Markle, who is estranged from her father, said through a spokesperson that she was "deeply distressed" by the news. She stated that her decision to limit contact between her father and her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was made solely to protect them.

A discrepancy exists regarding the date the letter was received. Meghan’s initial statement cited 2018, but a spokesperson later confirmed the year was 2019. The spokesperson attributed the error to the passage of more than seven years without a contemporaneous record. Sources indicated that Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations in 2019 to avoid jeopardizing future investigations or facing legal action.

The Met spokesperson added that the force has carried out a thorough review of its systems and records. The review aimed to determine why the letter was shared only with the Sussex office. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently moved back to the UK from the United States.