Duchess of Sussex's office received 2019 letter detailing father's alleged crimes

Hundreds, if not thousands, of child sexual abuse images were reportedly found in the Philippines, a discovery that prompted the Metropolitan Police to confirm a 2019 letter about those allegations reached the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The force stated the document was sent to the Sussex team for their awareness but was not shared with other law enforcement agencies.

The confirmation follows reports that Thomas Markle Jr, the half-brother of the Duchess of Sussex, told detectives in the Philippines he discovered the images on computers and mobile phones in four large boxes at his former home in Cebu. Markle Sr lived in the house until returning to the United States in May after a stroke. Markle Jr said he contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding the find.

Scotland Yard said it received the letter in January 2019, which contained claims of offending outside Britain. A spokesperson for the Met stated that the force conducted a thorough review of its records and decided to pass the letter to the Sussex office to raise concerns about the security of the Duchess. The force is currently reviewing how the matter was handled and considering a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

On Friday, Meghan Markle said through a spokesperson that she was deeply distressed by the news. She noted that she was given assurances the troubling allegations were being investigated and that her decision to keep her father from contact with her children was made solely to protect them. The Duchess later confirmed the letter was sent in 2019, correcting an initial statement that cited 2018. Her spokesperson said the date mix-up was understandable given the events occurred more than seven years ago without a contemporaneous record.

Thomas Markle Sr denied the allegations, telling the Daily Mail that the accusations were sick lies. Sources indicated that although the Duchess learned of the claims in 2019, she could not speak publicly at the time to avoid jeopardizing any future investigation or facing legal action. The Duchess and Prince Harry recently moved back to the United Kingdom from the United States.

The Duke and Duchess are estranged from the Duchess's father, who has never met their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five. The Metropolitan Police said it is treating any time-stamped record showing the letter was reviewed in 2019 as the accurate reference point for the timeline of events.