UK police refer themselves to watchdog over Markle child abuse allegations letter

The UK's largest police force has referred itself to a watchdog after failing to inform overseas authorities about a letter that made serious accusations against Thomas Markle.

The Met said the letter, which alleged Mr Markle had possessed child abuse images in the Philippines, was instead passed to his daughter, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.

Police in the Philippines are investigating.

The United Kingdom's Metropolitan Police has referred itself to a British watchdog after failing to inform other authorities about a letter that made serious accusations against Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.

The country's largest police force confirmed last week that it had received a letter in January 2019 alleging offences outside the UK involving Mr Markle.

The Met then said in a statement on Thursday, local time, that after an internal review it had submitted itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over its "decision not to inform other law enforcement agencies".

Instead, the force passed the letter to Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, wife of Prince Harry.

"The letter was assessed and subsequently passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness," Commander Adam Slonecki, head of the Met's protection command, said.

He said the force was now sharing the allegations with overseas authorities, which was expected to happen "in the coming days".

This came after Ms Markle said she had seen a letter sent to the police force making "troubling and disturbing allegations against my father" and received promises that they would be investigated.

On Friday, she said she was "deeply distressed" by accusations that her father had allegedly possessed images of child abuse, adding she had blocked contact between him and her children over previous "troubling and disturbing" allegations.

British newspapers reported last week Mr Markle's son, Thomas Markle Jr, had found alleged child abuse images among his father's possessions at his former home in the Philippines.

Commander Slonecki added in a statement that "a number of referrals" about the allegations were being made to "relevant overseas law enforcement agencies".

Philippine police found alleged child pornography materials at Mr Markle's former home and are investigating a laptop, the country's interior minister, Jonvic Remulla, told AFP this week.

Mr Remulla said the Philippines planned to take "appropriate legal actions" against Mr Markle if it found sufficient evidence.

"The Philippine National Police (PNP), upon the reports of the son, inspected the former home of a certain Mr Thomas Markle," Mr Remulla said in a text message sent late Saturday, local time.

"Found were a trove of child pornography materials as well as a laptop.

"The laptop is currently going under forensic investigation and we will have the full results in one week."

Ms Markle's father had been living in Cebu in the Philippines until reportedly returning to the United States earlier this year.

British newspaper The Sun reported on Sunday, local time, that the duchess had written a final letter to her father last year, telling him she knows he is an abuser and that he will never meet his grandchildren.

Ms Marke and Prince Harry left Britain and stepped down from royal duties in 2020 amid a bitter royal family feud.

They unexpectedly returned with their children to the United Kingdom in August.

In the US, an FBI spokesperson said it was "aware of the allegations and would provide support, as appropriate, to the Philippine authorities".