The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the police watchdog over its handling of a letter received in 2019 containing allegations about Thomas Markle, the father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. The force said a recent internal review found the allegations had not been shared with other law enforcement agencies when they were first received.

What the review found

Commander Adam Slonecki said the letter was sent to the force's Fixated Threats Assessment Centre, raising concerns purportedly linked to the Duchess's security, but instead contained allegations of offending outside the United Kingdom. The letter was assessed and passed to the office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their awareness, but its details were not shared with other agencies. The Duchess said last week that the news was very distressing and that she had been told by British police about the letter in the months after her wedding.

Referrals now under way

Following the review, the Met has made a voluntary referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) about the decision not to inform other agencies and the decision to pass the letter to the Sussexes' office. It also intends to make referrals to relevant overseas law enforcement agencies, a process it says is under way and will be completed in the coming days. The Times reported on 26 October that the Met had been unable to locate the original letter, and that Meghan kept a copy which she shared with police at their request.

Thomas Markle has denied the accusations, telling the Daily Mail they were untrue. The allegations remain unproven and no finding has been made against him. The news here is the referral itself and the force's account of how the letter was handled, as reported by Reuters and People.