Police watchdog opens investigation into Met's handling of 2019 letter on Thomas Markle

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said on Friday it will formally investigate the Metropolitan Police over its failure in 2019 to pass allegations about Thomas Markle, 82, father of the Duchess of Sussex, to overseas law enforcement. The letter was written by Markle's former wife, Roslyn Loveless. The Met referred itself to the watchdog on Thursday. The IOPC said the letter contained allegations of serious offending, and it will examine who at the Met decided not to share them and whether policies were followed. Markle faces child sexual abuse claims in the Philippines, which he denies, and authorities there are investigating him and searching devices from his former home. The Daily Mail reported that a Mexican storage unit he rented contained child-abuse material, and a senior FBI source told it the bureau has opened an investigation.

The Guardian, the left-leaning source, leads with the watchdog's decision, quotes the IOPC spokesperson, and sets out what the inquiry will examine: the Met's decisions and procedures. It treats the story as a question of police accountability. The right-leaning Daily Mail leads with its own findings, namely books and magazines in a Rosarito, Mexico, vault, the FBI's involvement, and a wheelchair-bound Markle photographed in Lakeland, Florida, with details of his health. Fox News carries only newsletter blurbs, saying the Palace was "blindsided" and citing an expert, alongside items on Harry and Meghan. Both sides agree Markle faces Philippine allegations, but the Guardian centers on the Met's 2019 failure, while the Mail centers on its own reporting and the FBI. The Times of India adds a distinct angle, reporting that the letter was reportedly sent to William and Kate's shared Kensington Palace office, so they may have known.