Thomas Markle has spoken out about Meghan’s decision to have Charles walk her down the aisle
AFTER pulling out of his daughter’s wedding once and for all, Thomas Markle has weighed in on Meghan’s choice for his replacement.
THOMAS Markle has responded to the news that Prince Charles will step in and walk his daughter Meghan down the aisle at the royal wedding.
Speaking to TMZ, Mr Markle said he was “honoured and grateful” that Charles would be the person to give his daughter away in his stead.
Mr Markle, 73, was forced to pull out of attending the wedding after a scandal involving staged paparazzi photographs and heart surgery.
He told the celebrity site that he had spoken to his worried daughter on the phone, reassuring her he was recovering well after his heart condition scare.
He also said he would “proudly” watch the wedding on television from “a secluded place with friends, hopefully with no press”.
While Prince Charles will walk Ms Markle down the aisle at the royal wedding on Saturday, she has made the bold choice to complete part of the bridal procession alone.
In what CNN has described as a “striking feminist statement”, the US news channel reports that Ms Markle will walk down the aisle of the nave of St George’s Chapel unescorted.
Prince Charles will take her by the arm when she approaches the quire, where the guests will be seated, and will chaperone her to the foot of the altar.
Then, in another break from tradition, Charles will step back and Ms Markle will approach Prince Harry alone. In effect, no one will “give her away”.
The unprecedented arrangement, which Ms Markle came up with herself, would have been the same had her father Thomas Markle been well enough to attend the wedding.
Kensington Palace said in a statement on Friday: “Ms Meghan Markle has asked His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to accompany her down the aisle of the Quire of St George’s Chapel on her wedding day.
“The Prince of Wales is pleased to be able to welcome Ms Markle to the royal family in this way.”
An update on the #RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/BMLlIIZyxf
— Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) May 18, 2018
It had been speculated her mother, Doria Ragland, 61, was going to do the honours but Prince Charles has stepped up for the ceremony.
The confirmation comes after a dramatic week for Meghan Markle and the royal family after her half-sister Samantha Markle, admitted suggesting their father pose for staged photographs and said he was facing an “unbelievable” amount of stress and had suffered a heart attack.
Mr Markle told celebrity website TMZ he would not attend the wedding out of embarrassment, but then changed his mind — if doctors would let him. That prospect was ruled out after he underwent heart surgery.
MORE: What you need to know about royal wedding
On Thursday, Ms Markle confirmed her dad would not attend.
“I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health,” she said.
“I would like to thank everyone who has offered generous messages of support. Please know how much Harry and I look forward to sharing our special day with you on Saturday.”
On Friday, her mother met the Queen for the first time and will stay with Meghan overnight at Cliveden House, a luxury five-star hotel not far from Windsor. They will travel to St George’s Chapel together for the ceremony.
She will be the only member of Ms Markle’s family to attend, with her half-brother and half-sister, Samantha and Thomas Markle Junior, not receiving invitations.
‘WE CALLED OURSELVES SISTER WIVES’
Meanwhile Ms Markle’s former Suits co-stars have spoken of their shock at being invited to the wedding of the year and how they knew “very little” of her relationship with the prince.
Suits stars Gina Torres, Sarah Rafferty and Rick Hoffman told NBC about their friendship with Ms Markle with Hoffman revealing how she accompanied him to a wedding in Paris after he was left dateless five years ago.
“I had gotten the news early and I was like, you’ve got to be kidding me. It was like both of us in the trailer, just kind of like ‘you’re dating a prince?’…and then I was just like take it slow, be careful, don’t let him hurt you,” he said.
Torres said she was “shocked” about getting an invite to the wedding, saying: “I hope nothing but, as we all do, the best for her. This is an incredible step in her life and so to bear witness to that is extraordinary.”
Sarah Rafferty said the trio “called ourselves the sister wives … we were with each other for longer than we went to college or high school with our friends so we became family, we’re still family so this is a wonderful family affair,” she said.
DUKE TO ATTEND WEDDING
It comes as the royal family revealed the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, would also attend following his recent hip surgery.
Prince Charles has previously given away Alexandra Knatchbull in 2016, the granddaughter of his friend, Lord Louis Mountbatten, who the newborn Prince Louis is believed to be named after.
Royal commentator Dickie Arbiter said Prince Charles would be “tickled pink” with his new role although he would have personally liked to see her mum walk with her. Others on social media praised Prince Charles for stepping in, while some suggested it was a missed opportunity for her mum.
The final piece of the jigsaw is in place. #MeghanMarkle has asked #PrinceCharles to accompany her down the aisle in #StGeorgesChapel for tomorrow's #RoyalWedding Personally I would have liked to have seen her mum do the honours but that might have been a walk too far pic.twitter.com/CBLKpkNXow
— Dickie Arbiter (@RoyalDickie) May 18, 2018
No doubt it will be a proud and beautiful moment for Charles walking Meghan down the aisle but I feel an even bigger moment has been missed with Doria.
— Victoria Arbiter (@victoriaarbiter) May 18, 2018
So Prince Charles is going to walk Meghan down the aisle. Would have been nice for her Mum to do it 🤔
— Tony Shepherd (@tonysheps) May 18, 2018
None of my business but I am disappointed that Prince Charles is walking Meghan. I wanted her mother to do it. Whyyyyy!
— Amethyst (@KindestEmpress) May 18, 2018
Agh just heard it's Charles. Delighted for him. You just know he'll be beaming with pride and joy walking down that aisle with Meghan on his arm. She gets a father she deserves and has the bonus point of showing how accepted she is in the family. And now I'm tearing up 😢
— Elaine Duff | EibhlÃn NÃ Dhuibh (@ElaineDuff4) May 18, 2018
Why is Prince Charles giving Meghan away 🙄 Should 100% be her mum
— S U Z A N N A H (@suzannahjess) May 18, 2018
Meanwhile, former England captain Mike Tindall has advised Ms Markle to “relax” ahead of the daunting ceremony that will see her become a member of the world’s most famous family.
Tindall married the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips in 2011 and said the family is good at putting people at ease.
“[They will] go straight over and take away all of that tension straight out of the room, and that’s what they are amazing at. Then suddenly you’re in the family and they welcome you,” he said.
Prince Harry and Ms Markle were spotted travelling to Windsor on Thursday alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for a rehearsal of Saturday’s events.
Follow the latest on the royal wedding here.
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