It has been discovered that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were named in disgusting racist texts exchanged by six former Metropolitan police officers on WhatsApp.
The men, who were all assigned to a team that provided security for the Palace of Westminster, have all been charged with sending highly offensive racial messages on the social networking platform, according to the force.
Following a BBC Newsnight exposé in October 2022, the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards launched an investigation.
According to the BBC, some of the racist insults shared in the discussion were purportedly targeting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The six men accused are:
Peter Booth, 66, of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, has been charged with four charges of delivering highly offensive racist comments via public communication. In April 2001, he announced his retirement from the Met.
Robert Lewis, 62, of Camberley, Surrey, has been charged with eight counts of delivering highly offensive racist comments via public communication. He left the Mets in May of 2015.
Anthony Elsom, 67, of Bournemouth, Dorset, has been charged with three counts of delivering highly offensive racist comments via public communication. He left the Met in May of 2012.
Alan Hall, 65, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, has been charged with three counts of delivering highly offensive racist comments via public communication. He left the Mets in June of 2015.
Michael Chadwell, 62, of Liss, Hampshire, has been charged with one count of delivering highly offensive racist comments via public communication. He left the Met in November of 2015.
Trevor Lewton, 65, of Swansea, South Wales, has been charged with one count of delivering extremely offensive racist comments via public communication. He left the Met in August 2009.
The investigation discovered that inappropriate conversations were shared within a closed WhatsApp group between August 2018 and September 2022, according to the Met.
The cops, who retired between 2001 and 2015, will appear in court on September 7 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
The force made it apparent that none of them were serving at any point throughout their participation in the organization.
It went on to say that they all served in various sectors of the Met during their careers, including service in what is now known as the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command.
“As soon as we were made aware of these allegations, we acted to launch an investigation,” said Commander James Harman, who runs the Met’s Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command. I am glad that we were able to secure these charges thanks to the hard work of the officers.
“We are working relentlessly to rebuild the trust of the public which has understandably been dented by several high-profile incidents and investigations in recent years which have involved officers or former officers.
“The honest majority of Met officers are fully behind this work. They are tired of being let down by a minority in policing and they are aware of the damage poor behaviour can do to our relationship with the communities we serve.
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“I recognize announcements about the outcome of our investigations may have the potential to cause further public concern, but I hope it demonstrates our absolute commitment to investigate any corrupt and abusive behavior from the Met.
“I hope the public will recognize that we are determined to take the necessary measures to investigate any wrongdoing wherever we find it.”
