Meghan Markle's father is skipping the Royal Wedding. Here's why
Soon-to-be royal Meghan Markle and fiance Prince Harry are facing an unexpected hurdle: her father Thomas Markle said in an interview that he wouldn't attend the wedding. It's a "deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle", the Kensington Palace said in a statement, requesting "understanding and respect to be extended to Mr Markle." Harry and Markle are set to tie the knot on 19th May.
Who is Thomas Markle?
Thomas Markle is a former lighting director who worked for various television programs, including TV shows in the 1980s like 'Married with Children' and 'General Hospital.' He and Meghan's mother, Doria, divorced when Meghan was six. He has another daughter, Samantha, from his first marriage.
Thomas Markle's decision follows reports about him staging paparazzi photos
Recently, photos of Thomas Markle being measured for a wedding suit while looking at newspaper stories about his daughter were circulated widely on the internet and in newspapers. The photos were also sold across the world for up to £100,000. However, on Sunday, reports emerged saying that Thomas Markle had staged the entire thing. Here's what Mr. Markle had to say about it.
Thomas Markle says staging wasn't for money
When asked about the photos, Mr. Markle said that he had meant the Royal Family and Meghan no harm when he agreed to be photographed. He added that his decision wasn't principally about money. After being unflatteringly photographed by paparazzi throughout last year, Mr. Markle said he thought that the recent photos would help him recover his popular public image.
Mr. Markle had turned down earlier offers
Thomas Markle said that since Meghan started dating Prince Harry, he had been approached by paparazzi for photographs earlier too, and had been offered upto £100,000. He had turned them all down, he said, so the paparazzi clicked photos of him in a dishevelled state.
Thomas Markle explains his reasons for not attending
After the recent paparazzi episode, Thomas Markle told TMZ that he wouldn't attend the Royal Wedding because he did not want to embarrass the Royal Family or his daughter, Meghan. Additionally, Mr. Markle also said that he had suffered a heart attack six days ago, but had checked himself out of the hospital because, at that time, he had wanted to attend the wedding.
Samantha Markle says staging was her idea
Following the release of Mr. Markle's latest photos, Meghan's half-sister Samantha took to Twitter to defend her father. "The media was unfairly making him look bad so I suggested he do positive photos for his benefit and the benefit of the Royal Family," she said.
Meghan Markle is still hopeful about Thomas' presence
Mr. Markle's decision comes just ahead of his and his ex-wife Doria's scheduled meeting with Prince Harry, the Queen, and the Duke of Edinburgh this week. Reportedly, soon-to-be-bride Meghan Markle is concerned about the well-being of Thomas, who has been described as shy and reclusive. However, she is still hopeful about her father attending the wedding and walking her down the aisle.
