Met police did not share allegations about Meghan’s father

London’s Metropolitan Police received a 2019 letter containing a series of allegations involving Meghan Markle’s father but did not share its contents with other law enforcement agencies, LRT reported.

The force said it reviewed the letter and passed it to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex so they would be informed. It is now reviewing how it handled the matter, including whether to refer it to a police oversight body.

Meghan said on Friday that she was “deeply shocked” by allegations that her father, Thomas Markle, had images of child abuse. She said she had ended his contact with her children after earlier “disturbing and upsetting” allegations. The Sun and the Daily Mail reported that the images were allegedly found among his belongings at his former home in the Philippines. Thomas denies the allegations.

Meghan also said she had seen a letter in 2018 sent to the Metropolitan Police and the Royal and Specialist Protection Command containing similar allegations. She said she had been assured that the claims about her father were being investigated. However, a source close to the matter told LRT that the police were not investigating it.

The Metropolitan Police said it received the letter in January 2019 and that it contained allegations of possible offences outside the United Kingdom. The force confirmed that details from the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.

Philippine authorities are investigating the allegations, according to UK media. An FBI spokesperson said the bureau was aware of them and would support Philippine authorities if needed. Thomas Markle was reportedly in a rehabilitation centre in Florida; he told the Daily Mail the allegations were “disgusting lies.”

Prince Harry married Meghan, a former American actor, at Windsor Castle in May 2018. The couple left the UK in 2020 and stepped back from royal duties. The article reports that they returned to live in the UK with their two children in August.