London Police: Confirming 2019 Markle Complaint Receipt

The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Saturday that it received a letter in 2019 containing a number of claims about Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. The confirmation marks the first official acknowledgment by London law enforcement regarding a specific written complaint filed nearly eight years ago.

Police stated that the document was forwarded to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. Officials noted that the specific details of the allegations contained within the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies at that time.

The police confirmation follows a week of intense media coverage regarding Markle. The Sun reported on Thursday that Markle was reported to authorities in the Philippines by his son, Thomas Markle Jr. The younger Markle allegedly discovered child abuse materials in storage boxes at the family home. By Friday, reports indicated that Philippine authorities were dealing with Markle over alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials, though Markle denied the claims to the Daily Mail on the same day.

In a statement sent to CBS News on Friday, Meghan described herself as deeply distressed by the recent reports. She asserted that she had known of the allegations since 2018 and that they were shared with U.K. authorities at that time. Her statement claimed a letter was sent to the Metropolitan Police and Royalty and Specialist Protection in 2018, which was subsequently shared with her. She said she was given assurances that the troubling and disturbing allegations against her father were being investigated.

A date discrepancy exists between the two accounts, with Meghan citing 2018 and the Metropolitan Police confirming a 2019 receipt. A spokesman for the duchess addressed this difference in comments to BBC News, a CBS News partner. The spokesman described the discrepancy of a few months as an understandable consequence of the passage of time.

Meghan also stated that she kept her distance from her father to protect her children. She said she hoped it could now be understood that, despite certain media publications' distortion over the years, her decision not to allow him contact with the children had one reason: to protect them.

The Metropolitan Police said it will review how the matter was handled in 2019. As part of that internal review, the force will decide whether to refer itself to the police watchdog.