In early 2019, a letter signed by former wife Roslyn Loveless detailing allegations against Thomas Markle Sr. was routed to the joint office shared by Prince William, Kate Middleton, and the Sussexes at Kensington Palace. Royal protection officers forwarded the document to Prince Harry and Meghan, who described the contents as "disturbing" and confirmed that an investigation was underway.
Meghan released a statement that she had been made aware of the letter and that the allegations were being examined, while Thomas Markle Sr. dismissed the claims as "sick lies" in a recent interview. The royal household has not issued any comment, and neither William nor Kate have confirmed whether they received the correspondence. Meanwhile, police in the Philippines are probing claims of child‑abuse images allegedly found at Markle’s former residence, a matter that Thomas’s half‑brother has handed over to local authorities.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an inquiry after the Metropolitan Police voluntarily referred a conduct matter concerning the 2019 letter. The watchdog is scrutinizing whether the Met failed to forward the allegations to relevant overseas agencies and whether a data breach occurred during the handling of the document. A separate conduct matter about a suspected data breach will be returned to the Met for internal review.
Sources close to the royal protection team say the letter was unlikely to have reached Harry and Meghan in isolation; police duties dictate that the Palace be notified of serious claims. An insider told the Daily Mail that the broader Royal Household probably had knowledge of the letter’s contents, though no official statement has been issued. The shared office at Kensington Palace, a space used by both the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Sussexes, raises questions about the flow of information within the royal household.
The investigation is ongoing, with the IOPC expected to publish its findings later this year. The Metropolitan Police will review its protocols on inter‑agency communication, and the royal family’s internal dynamics continue to shift as the Sussexes distance themselves from their estranged father following his 2018 wedding and subsequent health issues.