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Meghan's father: the BBC understands the 2019 letter of claims was written by his first wife; the Met admits it did not share it with other forces

The Metropolitan Police says it received a letter in January 2019 containing allegations about Thomas Markle Sr, passed it to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and did not share it with other forces; it is reviewing its handling. The BBC understands the letter was written by his first wife. Markle denies the allegations.

L 30% · C 20% · R 50% · 20 outlets

Left 0 · Centre-left 6 · Centre 4 · Centre-right 5 · Right 5

Blindspot for the left (barely covered by left-leaning outlets)

ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage

How each side framed it

Left-leaning outlets

Police handling: the Met 'admits it did not pass claims' to other forces (Independent, i); NBC and the Guardian lead on what the Met did with the letter.

Centre outlets

Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Letter making claims about Meghan's father written by his first wife, BBC understands” (BBC News); “Met Police told of allegations about Meghan's father, but did not share with other forces” (Sky News).

Right-leaning outlets

The letter itself: Thomas Markle's 'first wife' wrote it (The Sun, GB News); the Daily Mail publishes Meghan's 'final letter' to her father.

Context

The wider geopolitical and historical background, in our words, each point linked to the source it comes from. Background, not a verdict on today's story. How we write it.

The story concerns how the police handled a letter, not a finding about the allegations, which Thomas Markle denies.

  • Meghan married Prince Harry in 2018. The couple stepped back as working royals in 2020 and, in August 2026, moved to the UK with their children without resuming royal duties. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
  • Thomas Markle is a retired television lighting director and Meghan's father. Thomas Markle

Checked 2026-10-26. Links were opened and returned a page that day.

Search for more (live results, not checked by us): Wikipedia search · Explainers (Google News search) · Background and history (Google News search)

Sources by lean

Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.

Left 3

Centre 3

Right 3

Showing 3 from each side of 20 rated outlets (L 6 / C 4 / R 10). More coverage

Video

News reports from outlets with a bias rating, balanced like the articles: the same number from the left, the centre and the right. A side with no matching video is named, never padded. Every video was checked to exist on YouTube on the day; titles are the publishers' own. Links open YouTube; nothing from YouTube loads on this page. How we pick.

Left 0

No left-rated outlet video found for this story. We don't fill the gap with an unrelated video.

Centre 1

Right 1

Showing 1 from each side that has one; none found from the left.

YouTube searches (live results, not checked or balanced by us): News videos · Explainers · Podcasts

Deep dive

The two opposites side by side, seeking to understand rather than judge. These are possible readings of the coverage, built from the articles linked on this page; they are not claims about anyone's motives. How we write it.

Seen from the left

“Police confirm they received letter containing 'a number of claims' relating to Meghan Markle's father” Daily Mirror

A possible reading: the question is whether the police followed proper procedure in sharing safeguarding information.

May be protecting: scrutiny of the police.

Seen from the right

“U.K. police say they received letter with claims against Meghan's father, wasn't shared with other law enforcement” CBS News

A possible reading: the question is what the Sussexes knew and when, in a long-running family dispute.

May be protecting: scrutiny of the Sussexes' role.

What they agree on

The Met says it received a letter in January 2019 making allegations about Thomas Markle Sr, passed it to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and did not share it with other forces. Markle denies the allegations, calling them 'sick lies'. All sides ask why the claims were not passed to other forces.

Where they truly differ

Who wrote the letter: the BBC understands it was his first wife; GB News says his late wife. Whether the Met should have passed it on is under review.

The paradox

A story about allegations against a private man is reported largely through the Royal family.

Open questions

  • What do police rules say about passing on such allegations to other forces?
  • What exactly is the Met reviewing, and when will it report?
  • Shared question: what should police do with allegations of offending abroad?

Follow the money

Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.

Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (20 outlets)
OutletLeanOwnership & funding (MBFC)
Daily MirrorCentre-leftBritish Publishing Company Reach plc (formerly Trinity Mirror) owns The Daily Mirror. Revenue is generated through digital advertising, print ads, and subscription fees. source
NBC NewsCentre-leftNo ownership data found
The GuardianCentre-leftThe Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source
The IndependentCentre-leftThe Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source
USA TodayCentre-leftUSA Today is owned by the Gannett Company, headquartered in McLean, Virginia. It is one of the largest newspaper publishers in the United States, with interests in newspapers, digital marketing services companies, and television broadcasting. Subscriptions and advertising generate revenue. source
i (inews)Centre-leftDMG Media owns iNews, which publishes the Daily Mail and The Metro. Advertising, sponsored content, and subscriptions generate revenue. source
BBC NewsCentreThe BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source
France 24CentreFrance 24 is owned by France Médias Monde, a state-owned French holding company that supervises and coordinates the activities of the major public media organizations broadcasting or publishing internationally from France. Besides government funding, they also generate revenue through advertising. source
ReutersCentreIn April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source
Sky NewsCentreSky News is owned by Comcast as of November 2018 and is funded through advertising. Rupert Murdoch is no longer affiliated with Sky News UK; however, Newscorp still has a share of Sky News Australia, which reports with a right-leaning bias. source
CBS NewsCentre-rightCBS News is owned by Paramount Global, which was formerly controlled by National Amusements, Inc., the holding company of the Redstone family. In 2025, Paramount entered into a merger agreement with Skydance Media, effectively ending the Redstones’ majority control. CBS News generates revenue primarily through advertising and affiliate broadcasting fees..push({}); source
Evening StandardCentre-rightThe newspaper is majority-owned by Russian businessman and former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev and the Daily Mail and General Trust. Revenue is generated through advertising. source
ITV NewsCentre-rightNo ownership data found
The TimesCentre-rightThe Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source
UnHerdCentre-rightUnherd Ventures Limited, a private company owned by Sir Paul Marshall, owns and publishes the website. Sir Paul Marshall is the Chairman of Marshall Wace LLP, a prominent hedge fund group. Marshall is also an investor in the Right-leaning TV News station GB News. source
Daily ExpressRightThe Daily Express is owned by Reach plc (formerly known as Trinity Mirror), a British newspaper, magazine, and digital publisher. Subscriptions, newsstand sales, and advertising generate revenue. source
Daily MailRightThe Daily Mail is published by Associated Newspapers Limited, part of Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT). DMGT is controlled by the Rothermere family and is 100% owned by Rothermere Continuation Limited. Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere, serves as Chairman..push({}); DMGT became privately owned after delisting from the London Stock Exchange in 2022. source
GB NewsRightGB News lacks transparency as they do not disclose ownership. A search reveals that London-based ALL Perspectives Ltd owns GB News. According to Reuters, the television channel “secured millions of dollars from investors such as Discovery Inc, Legatum and hedge fund manager Paul Marshall. source
The SunRightThe Sun is published by the News Group Newspapers division of News UK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The paper generates revenue through advertising, newsstand sales, and subscriptions. source
The TelegraphRightTelegraph Media Group (TMG) owns The Telegraph, which is owned by Press Acquisitions Ltd., which in turn is owned by Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay. In 2004, Twin Brothers Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay acquired the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph from the Canadian media company Hollinger Inc. for £665 million. For a complete list of Board members, see here. source