Police watchdog to investigate the Met over its handling of a letter about Meghan's father
The Independent Office for Police Conduct will investigate the Metropolitan Police's failure in 2019 to pass on to overseas authorities allegations in a letter about Thomas Markle, the Duchess of Sussex's father, after the Met referred itself. The letter was written by Markle's former wife. Markle, 82, is under investigation in the Philippines over child sexual abuse claims, which he denies.
Left 0 · Centre-left 5 · Centre 4 · Centre-right 3 · 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 failings: 'Police watchdog to investigate Met’s handling of Meghan warning letter' (The Guardian).
Centre outlets
Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Police watchdog to investigate Met over letter about Meghan's father” (BBC News); “Met Police refers itself to watchdog over handling of letter about Meghan’s father” (News24).
Right-leaning outlets
Fallout around Thomas Markle: 'Met refers itself to police watchdog over 'lost' letter...' (The Sun); 'Met snubbed Markle ex-wife offer to help child abuse investigation' (The Telegraph).
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 IOPC oversees complaints against police in England and Wales and investigates the most serious ones.
- The IOPC replaced the Independent Police Complaints Commission in 2018. Independent Office for Police Conduct
- Forces refer themselves to the IOPC when their conduct may have contributed to harm or raises serious concerns. Metropolitan Police
Checked 2026-10-31. 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 17 rated outlets (L 5 / C 4 / R 8). 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
Showing 1 from each side that has one; none found from the left.
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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
“Thomas Markle police given warrant to examine devices and boxes of material as Met refers itself to watchdog” Daily Mirror
A possible reading: the case raises questions about how police handle safeguarding warnings.
May be protecting: police accountability and potential victims.
Seen from the right
“Update on police watchdog investigation into letter about Meghan Markle's dad” Daily Express
A possible reading: the case raises questions about Met competence and accountability.
May be protecting: due process and the family's privacy.
What they agree on
The IOPC will investigate the Met's failure in 2019 to pass on a letter's allegations about Thomas Markle to overseas authorities; he denies the allegations. Everyone wants serious allegations passed to the right authorities.
Where they truly differ
Who knew what in 2019 and why nothing was passed on.
The paradox
A letter about alleged abuse abroad went to a royal, not to the police abroad.
Open questions
- What happened to the letter after the Met received it in 2019?
- When will the IOPC report?
- Shared question: what rule should govern how police share allegations about 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 (17 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Mirror | Centre-left | British Publishing Company Reach plc (formerly Trinity Mirror) owns The Daily Mirror. Revenue is generated through digital advertising, print ads, and subscription fees. source |
| The Guardian | Centre-left | The 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 Herald (Scotland) | Centre-left | The Glasgow Herald is published by Herald & Times Group, which is owned by Newsquest Media Group Ltd. Newsquest is the second-largest publisher in the United Kingdom, publishing 205 brands including 165 newspapers. Further, Newsquest is owned by US-based Gannett which publishes USA Today. source |
| The Independent | Centre-left | The 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 |
| The National (Scotland) | Centre-left | The National is operated by Newsquest Media Group Ltd., a UK-based local media publisher. Newsquest is a wholly owned subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc., the media company formerly known as Gannett Company, which also controls AZthe USA TODAY Network of national and local news outlets in the United States and regional titles in the United Kingdom. Revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales source |
| BBC News | Centre | The BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source |
| News24 | Centre | Media24 owns and publishes News24.com. They publish several magazines, newspapers, and online publications in South Africa. Advertising and subscription fees generate revenue. source |
| Reuters | Centre | In April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source |
| Sky News | Centre | Sky 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 |
| Evening Standard | Centre-right | The 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 News | Centre-right | No ownership data found |
| The Times | Centre-right | The 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 |
| Daily Express | Right | The 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 Mail | Right | The 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 News | Right | GB 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 Sun | Right | The 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 Telegraph | Right | Telegraph 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 |