Meghan 'wanted to go public' with abuse claims against her father in 2019 but a Met bodyguard warned her off

Scotland Yard's royal protection unit passed a handwritten letter to the Sussexes' Kensington Palace office in January 2019 accusing Thomas Markle, 82, of child sex abuse and claiming he travelled to the Philippines and Thailand because he said "12-year-olds are legal there." Meghan, 45, wanted to speak out publicly after reading the allegations, but a RaSP bodyguard told her: "Leave it with us, we'll investigate it."

The Met never investigated Markle's alleged conduct because it took place abroad, and officers are still trying to identify the bodyguard who advised Meghan to stay silent.

Buckingham Palace has issued a statement saying King Charles 'rigorously prioritises multiple roles' as the scandal unfolds, as he continues a Caribbean tour taking in the Bahamas, Antigua and Guyana.