Met Police Refer 2019 Markle Letter to Watchdog

The Metropolitan Police have voluntarily referred their own handling of a 2019 letter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The force determined that it failed to pass specific allegations to other law enforcement bodies before sharing the document with the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. This self-referral follows an internal review of how the Met’s protection command processed the correspondence.

The letter, received in January 2019, was addressed to the Met’s fixated threats assessment centre. The author claimed the communication raised security concerns regarding the Duchess of Sussex. The police stated that while the note did not contain specific security data, it included multiple claims about alleged offending occurring outside the United Kingdom.

Commander Adam Slonecki, who leads the Met’s protection command, confirmed the letter was assessed and sent to the Sussexes for their awareness. Slonecki noted that the details of the allegations were not shared with other law enforcement agencies at the time. The directorate of professional standards completed an initial review of these actions in recent days.

The referral specifically targets two decisions: the choice not to inform other police forces and the choice to pass the letter directly to the royal couple. Slonecki said the Met intends to make further referrals to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies regarding the allegations in the letter. He stated that process is underway and will be completed within the coming days.

This police action coincides with a separate investigation in the Philippines. Local authorities are examining suspected child sexual abuse images reportedly found at the former home of Thomas Markle Sr., the father of the Duchess of Sussex. Meghan Markle’s half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., told the Sun last week that he found the images at the property and reported them to both local police and the FBI.

Markle Sr. has admitted to paying for sex in the southeast Asian country. He denies possessing illicit material. The Met’s announcement details the timeline of the 2019 letter but does not provide new evidence regarding the current investigation in the Philippines.