UK Police Watchdog to Investigate Handling of Letter About Meghan's Father
The Metropolitan Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over a letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle.
The UK's Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) will investigate the Metropolitan Police's handling of a letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle, the father of the Duchess of Sussex. The investigation will focus on the force's "failure to pass on allegations of serious offending... to relevant overseas authorities at the time."
The letter, written by Markle's first wife Roslyn Loveless before her death in 2024, was sent to the Met's royal protection team and subsequently passed to Meghan in January 2019. The Duchess of Sussex stated last week that the letter made "troubling and disturbing allegations against my father," which provided her with sufficient reason not to visit him or allow him to meet his grandchildren.
Scotland Yard confirmed that the letter contained claims of offending outside the UK and was forwarded to the "office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness." The IOPC will examine why the Metropolitan Police did not share the letter's contents with other domestic or international law enforcement agencies. The Met indicated it intends to make further referrals to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies in the coming days.
Reports suggest the letter was forwarded to the Sussexes' royal office rather than directly to Meghan, and that the Met may not have kept a copy, having to request one from the Sussexes. Noel Rasmussen, Thomas Markle's granddaughter, has expressed deep concern regarding the police handling of the information and the decision not to share it with other agencies.
This investigation unfolds as authorities in the Philippines have begun their own inquiry into claims concerning material alleged to contain child abuse images, reportedly found in Thomas Markle's possessions. Meghan's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., handed over four boxes of materials, including electronic devices, to police in Cebu. Thomas Markle Sr. has strongly denied all allegations, with his daughter Samantha dismissing them as "fake."