Metropolitan Police investigating letter with allegations about Duchess of Sussex's father

The Metropolitan Police has launched an inquiry into reports that a letter containing allegations about Thomas Markle, the father of the Duchess of Sussex, was sent to a specialist unit in 2018. The Duchess herself stated that the letter, which detailed "disturbing allegations" about her estranged father's behavior, was subsequently shared with her.

This investigation by Scotland Yard is not directly looking into Thomas Markle, who is based in the United States and denies the allegations against him. Instead, the focus is on confirming whether the Met's royal protection unit passed the letter to the Duchess eight years ago. Reports suggest the letter was sent to the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre, a unit tasked with addressing individuals posing a threat to members of the Royal Family and politicians.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police confirmed they are aware of media reports and are conducting internal inquiries to verify the claim. "We are undertaking inquiries internally in an effort to confirm this," the spokesperson stated.

Separately, in the Philippines, authorities are investigating claims that images of child sexual abuse were found in Thomas Markle's former home. The Sun newspaper, which initially reported the allegations, stated the letter made direct claims of child sex abuse against him. The Undersecretary for the Philippines Department of Justice, Nicholas Ty, told the BBC that a task force investigating human trafficking and child sexual exploitation is looking into the matter. Philippines Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla informed the BBC that the national police had secured Mr. Markle's computer for a digital forensic examination. Results are expected within a week.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has stated it is aware of the allegations and will provide support to Philippine authorities as appropriate. The FBI also indicated it would investigate any related allegations of violations of U.S. law.

Thomas Markle, a former TV lighting director, is the father of Meghan Markle and has two other children, Samantha and Thomas Markle Jr., from a previous marriage. His relationship with Meghan reportedly deteriorated in the lead-up to her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. At the time, he was found to have collaborated with photographers to stage photos of himself preparing for the ceremony. It is understood Meghan learned of the allegations against her father shortly after her marriage, and sources close to the couple indicated she could not speak publicly about them to avoid jeopardizing any potential investigation, as doing so could have led to legal action against her.