Police confirm they sent 2019 letter on Meghan's dad to her royal office

London's Metropolitan Police have verified the existence of a 2019 letter regarding alleged offenses committed by Thomas Markle Sr, the father of the Duchess of Sussex. The force disclosed this information after new reports emerged this Friday detailing specific claims of child sexual abuse images found in the Philippines.

Scotland Yard stated that the letter arrived in January 2019 and described offending that occurred outside of Britain. The force confirmed that the document was forwarded to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It was not sent to any other law enforcement agencies.

The Sun newspaper reported that Thomas Markle Jr, the duchess's 60-year-old half-brother, discovered the alleged images at his former home in Cebu. Markle Jr told detectives there that he found hundreds, or possibly thousands, of images on computers and mobile phones stored in four large boxes. His father lived in that house until returning to the United States in May following a stroke. Markle Jr also stated that he contacted the FBI regarding the findings.

Thomas Markle Sr has denied the claims. In an interview with the Daily Mail, he described the accusations as sick lies. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the force conducted a thorough review of its records. The letter was originally routed to the Protection Command to raise security concerns. The spokesperson noted that a decision was made to pass the letter to the Sussex office for their awareness.

The force is currently reviewing how the matter was handled in 2019. It is considering whether to refer itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. On Friday, Meghan spoke through a spokesperson about the news. She described herself as deeply distressed and said her thoughts were with children who may have been harmed.

She confirmed that a letter with troubling and disturbing allegations was shared with her. She said she was given assurances that the allegations were being investigated. Meghan stated that her decision to limit contact between her father and her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, was made solely to protect them.

Initially, Meghan's statement said the letter was sent in 2018. She later corrected this to 2019. A spokesperson said it was understandable that she could be mistaken by a few months when recalling events from over seven years ago without a diary entry. The spokesperson added that if the Met holds a time-stamped record showing the letter was reviewed in 2019, that record should be treated as the accurate reference point.

Sources indicated that Meghan could not speak publicly about the allegations in 2019. They explained that silence was maintained to avoid jeopardizing any future investigation and to prevent potential legal action against her.