Met refers itself to police watchdog after passing letter about Thomas Markle allegations to Meghan in 2019 - but failing to inform international law enforcement

Published: 12:17 EDT, 29 October 2026 | Updated: 12:32 EDT, 29 October 2026 The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the police watchdog after it failed to pass on allegations about Meghan Markle's father to other law enforcement agencies.The force handed a letter containing accusations against Thomas Markle Sr, 82, to the Sussexes in 2019, which contained 'a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom'.But it failed to pass on the letter, or details of the alleged offences, to any other investigatory body, and did not launch a probe into Markle Sr himself. The Met does now intend to make 'a number of referrals to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies' in relation to the claims set out in the letter.It's understood the letter was written by Markle's late first wife, Roslyn Loveless, and contained 'troubling and disturbing' allegations against the Duchess of Sussex's father.Last week it emerged the Duchess of Sussex was allegedly informed the allegations raised in the letter were being investigated. It comes after Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr, 60, claimed last week he had discovered a trove of child sex abuse images in his father's possessions at his home in the Philippines. Markle Sr is accused of having a 'sickening' collection of child abuse images, including videos of girls no older than ten or 11 involved in sex acts. Thomas Jr claims to have found the material while looking through his father's boxes in July this year to find a phone for his fiancée, Rose, after his father had returned to the US for medical treatment. Meghan and her father Thomas Sr have been estranged since 2018, the year she married Harry Thomas Markle Jr, Meghan's brother, claimed to have found the child-abuse material packed up in boxes at his father's Philippines homeHe allegedly also found a 15-minute video of naked girls on his father's old cellphone, and 'hundreds' of indecent images including pictures depicting children as young as toddlers.Authorities in the Philippines have launched a probe and were handed a warrant by a court today allowing them to examine the digital material handed to them by Thomas Jr. The FBI are also said to poised to join the investigation. Announcing the referral to the IOPC today, Commander Adam Slonecki, who leads the Metropolitan Police's Protection Command, said: 'In January 2019, the Met received a letter addressed to our Protection Command, specifically the Fixated Threats Assessment Centre.'The author of the letter suggested they were writing to raise concerns relating to the security of the Duchess of Sussex. While the letter did not actually contain any information specifically related to security matters, it did contain a number of claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom.'The letter was assessed and subsequently passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness. The details of the allegations in the letter were not shared with other law enforcement agencies.'In recent days, the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards has carried out an initial review into our actions following receipt of the letter in 2019.'Following that review, a voluntary referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in respect of the decision not to inform other law enforcement agencies, and the decision to pass the letter to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.'In addition, it is our intention to make a number of referrals to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies in relation to the allegations contained within the letter. That process is underway and will be completed in the coming days.'Thomas Jr said last week he found 'hundreds' of child sex abuse images in four boxes stored at his father's home in Cebu in the Philippines, which contained multiple digital devices.One 35mm photograph reportedly shows a bearded man resembling Mr Markle having sex with a young Asian girl. 'I have never been in a photograph like that,' Markle Sr said on Saturday.Markle Sr denies the allegations, calling them 'sick lies' and says he will do 'whatever it takes' to clear his name. This is a breaking news story and is being updated.