Police review raises questions over Palace handling of allegations against Thomas Markle
The article reports growing concern at Buckingham Palace over what a Metropolitan Police review may reveal about its handling of serious allegations against Thomas Markle. The claims, made in a 2019 letter from his first wife, were shared with Harry and Meghan but, according to the Met, were not passed on to law-enforcement agencies overseas; Markle denies them.
The review is intended to establish why the letter was not shared with authorities in other countries and who decided what action to take. A royal source quoted in the article says it is “unthinkable” the Palace was not informed, while the Palace has declined to comment. The article suggests officials may have wanted to avoid a scandal eight months after the royal wedding, but presents this as speculation rather than an established finding.
In short
- The Met is reviewing how it handled a 2019 letter alleging abuse by Thomas Markle.
- Markle denies the allegations; the Met says it did not alert overseas police.
- The review may clarify whether Palace officials knew about the letter.
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The case for
The Palace may have had legitimate reasons to handle the letter cautiously: the allegations were unverified, Markle denied them, and sharing them across borders could have raised questions about privacy, fairness and proper procedure. Officials may also have believed that the information had been dealt with appropriately, though the review should establish what they knew and why no overseas authorities were notified.
The case against
Serious allegations can warrant referral to law-enforcement agencies even when they have not been proven, so failing to pass on the letter may have prevented authorities from assessing any risk or taking appropriate steps. The Palace’s public responsibilities and the potential safety of those concerned make it reasonable to ask who made the decision, what guidance they followed and whether concern about reputational damage influenced their response.
Explained simply
Thomas Markle is Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s father. In 2019, his first wife sent a letter containing serious allegations about him; Markle denies the claims. The letter was shared with Prince Harry and Meghan.
The Metropolitan Police is reviewing why the letter was not passed to law-enforcement agencies in other countries and who decided what to do with it. The review may clarify what the Palace knew and how the allegations were handled, but the reasons for the decisions remain to be established.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Did Palace quietly bury letter about Thomas Markle allegations to avoid scandal? Royal sources tell RICHARD EDEN of growing concern over what new review could uncover… and why it would be ‘unthinkable’ that Palace were not told”.