Police watchdog probes Met over Thomas Markle letter

The UK police watchdog will investigate how the Metropolitan Police handled a 2019 letter containing allegations against Thomas Markle, father of the Duchess of Sussex. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is examining the Met's failure to share those claims with overseas law enforcement at the time.

Britain's Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed it will look into the force's handling of the handwritten warning letter, which was passed to Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, in January 2019. The Met voluntarily referred itself to the watchdog on Thursday, after days of scrutiny over why claims about alleged offending outside the UK were never flagged to partner agencies abroad.

Key Takeaways

• The IOPC will investigate why the Met did not pass allegations about Thomas Markle to overseas authorities in 2019.
• The letter, written by Markle's first wife Roslyn Loveless, was shared with the Sussexes' royal office for awareness.
• Thomas Markle has strongly denied recent claims involving alleged child abuse images, calling them "sick lies."
• Philippine authorities are separately investigating material reportedly handed over by Thomas Markle Jr.
• The Met says it now intends to refer details to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies.

What did the Metropolitan Police do with the Thomas Markle letter?

According to BBC News, the letter was sent to the Met's royal protection team by Roslyn Loveless, who divorced Thomas Markle in 1975 and died in 2024. Officers assessed it and forwarded it to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex rather than to Meghan personally.

Met Commander Adam Slonecki, who leads Protection Command, said the author framed the correspondence as raising concerns about the Duchess of Sussex's security. While the letter did not contain specific security information, he said it did include 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," Slonecki said, according to The Guardian.

Scotland Yard has said it did not investigate because the alleged activity was overseas. The Guardian understands the long letter made claims about Markle's activities in the US, the Philippines and Thailand. The Met has also been unable to locate its own copy of the letter in its systems and asked the Duchess of Sussex to provide hers, which she did.

Why is the IOPC investigating Thomas Markle-related Met decisions?

The IOPC said an investigation is required into the force's "failure to pass on allegations of serious offending... to relevant overseas authorities at the time." That decision not to inform other UK or overseas agencies sits at the center of the probe.

A voluntary referral also covered the decision to pass the letter to the Sussexes' office. Separately, the IOPC said an alleged data breach—in which information was passed to a third party—should be returned to the Met to be dealt with appropriately. No further details of that alleged breach were released.

The Met said it intends to make further referrals to "relevant overseas law enforcement agencies," a process it expected to complete "in the coming days." The Guardian understands details are now being sent to the FBI in the US and to counterparts in the Philippines and Thailand.

Noel Rasmussen, Thomas Markle's granddaughter and niece of the Duchess of Sussex, told the BBC she was "deeply troubled by the questions surrounding the Metropolitan Police's handling of the information it received," asking what steps were taken and why the information was not shared more widely.

How do the new Philippines claims connect to Thomas Markle?

Reports about the Met's 2019 letter resurfaced as Thomas Markle's son, Thomas Markle Jr, told police in the Philippines about material he claimed to have found among possessions belonging to Meghan's father. Four boxes—including computers, phones, hard drives and old videotapes—were handed to police last week. Officers in Cebu obtained a warrant to examine devices seized from Markle's former home.

Thomas Markle Sr has strongly denied the allegations. He told the Daily Mail he was shocked and hurt by his son's accusations and said he "could never do what I'm being accused of." His daughter Samantha has dismissed the claims as "fake." Markle has admitted paying for sex but denies possessing illegal material, The Guardian reported.

Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla told the Guardian that all signs point to Markle being a "possible sex offender of the grossest kind," adding that a full forensic investigation would give a "definitive picture." The Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation has also said the FBI requested assistance.

Meghan said last week the 2019 letter "made troubling and disturbing allegations against my father" and gave her sufficient reason not to visit him or allow him to meet grandchildren Archie and Lilibet. She said she had been assured the claims were being investigated. The Met's records show the letter arrived in January 2019; Meghan's spokesperson later said police timestamped records should be treated as authoritative after an earlier reference to 2018.

In December 2025, while Markle was undergoing hospital treatment in the Philippines, Meghan wrote to end all contact. He has since been reported to be receiving care at a rehabilitation center in Florida. Coverage of institutional fallout—and how high-profile disputes can reshape public narratives around wealth, reputation and family risk—continues across our Wealth Hacks & Passive Income hub.

Royal commentator Kinsey Schofield told Fox News Digital that Buckingham Palace appeared "blindsided," saying sources had not heard of the allegations before they broke. Experts cited by Fox News suggested working royals are likely to keep institutional distance while investigations continue. Thomas Markle remains under scrutiny on two fronts: Philippine police inquiries into alleged material, and the UK watchdog's review of how London's police handled the earlier warning letter.