Kensington Palace confirms that Meghan Markle's dad will not attend the wedding

published 17 May 2018

Meghan Markle has broken her silence surrounding whether her father will attend Saturday's wedding.

Kensington Palace published a statement from Prince Harry's fiancée confirming that Thomas Markle will not be attending the service.

The official statement, shared on Twitter, read: 'Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding. I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.

'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.'

Speculation that Meghan's father would not be at the wedding started early this week when it was reported he had suffered a heart attack. It was reported that he was undergoing serious surgery yesterday and would therefore be unable to fly to the UK for his daughter's special day.

Thomas has been in the headlines a lot in the last few days after The Mail On Sunday revealed that he had staged paparazzi pictures for money.

At the time, Kensington Palace issued a statement asking for understanding and respect during this 'deeply personal moment'.

The wedding would have been the first time Prince Harry met Meghan's father Thomas. It is likely that he will not meet the father of his bride until the couple have officially tied the knot.

Meghan has spoken about her close relationship to her mother in the past

Meghan's mum Doria has arrived in the country ahead of Saturday's wedding but it has not been confirmed whether she will now be the person to walk her daughter down the aisle.

Doria is already playing an important role in Meghan's day by accompanying her in the car to Windsor Castle.

The Palace are yet to say who will now walk Meghan down the aisle, but if her mum did take on the responsibility, Meghan would not be the first royal bride to have a woman walk her down the aisle.

Queen Victoria walked her daughter Princess Beatrice down the aisle when she married Prince Henry of Battenberg in 1885.

So although it would be against tradition for Doria to walk Meghan down the aisle, it wouldn't be unheard of.

Who do you think will or should walk Meghan down the aisle? Head over to our Facebook page and let us know your thoughts!

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.