Who Attended Meghan Markle's Wedding?

Meghan Markle's wedding to Prince Harry took place on May 19, 2018, at Windsor Castle, with 600 guests present in St. George's Chapel and over 2,000 others on the grounds. Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, was in attendance, and Markle's future father-in-law, Prince Charles, walked her down the aisle. Markle's father, Thomas Markle, was initially supposed to walk her down the aisle, but he did not attend the wedding after it was revealed that he had staged several photoshoots with a paparazzi photographer. Markle's half-siblings, Samantha and Thomas Markle Jr., were also not invited to the wedding.

Meghan's father, Thomas Markle, was initially supposed to walk her down the aisle

Meghan Markle's wedding to Prince Harry took place on May 19, 2018, at Windsor Castle, with 600 guests in attendance. Markle's father, Thomas Markle, was initially supposed to walk her down the aisle. However, it was later revealed that Thomas had staged several photoshoots with a paparazzi photographer. This disclosure led to Thomas deciding not to attend the wedding to avoid embarrassing his daughter or the royal family. He also cited health concerns, including a heart attack and severe chest pains, as reasons for his absence.

In an official statement released by Kensington Palace, Meghan confirmed that her father would not be attending the wedding due to health issues and requested that he be given space to focus on his well-being. Ultimately, Meghan asked Prince Charles to accompany her down the aisle, marking a break from traditional royal wedding etiquette.

While Thomas Markle's absence from the wedding caused a stir, it is important to note that none of Meghan Markle's family members were invited to the wedding, according to a royal biographer. This included her half-siblings, Samantha and Thomas Markle Jr., and her mother, Doria Ragland, whose attendance had never been in question. Despite the family drama, Meghan Markle's wedding day was a memorable occasion with a mix of royalty, celebrities, and members of the public in attendance.

Thomas conspired with paparazzi to stage photoshoots

Thomas Markle, Meghan Markle's father, was caught conspiring with paparazzi to stage photoshoots ahead of his daughter's wedding to Prince Harry. The 73-year-old was seen in CCTV footage arriving at an internet cafe with photographer Jeff Rayner, where they staged photos of Markle looking at news stories about his daughter and Prince Harry.

Other staged photos included Markle being measured for a suit, reading a book about British landmarks in a Starbucks cafe, and working out with weights. These photos were sold to newspapers and media outlets around the world, despite pleas from Prince Harry and Kensington Palace for the media to respect Markle's privacy. It is unclear whether Thomas Markle was paid for these photoshoots, but it is estimated that the photos netted up to £100,000.

This incident caused embarrassment for the Royal Family and went against Prince Harry's previous pleas for the media to respect Meghan Markle and her family's privacy. It also brought up memories of the paparazzi's pursuit of Princess Diana, which ultimately led to her tragic death in 1997.

Thomas decided not to attend the wedding due to health issues

Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle, was initially set to walk her down the aisle at her wedding to Prince Harry. However, it was later revealed that Thomas had staged several photoshoots with a paparazzi photographer. Thomas defended his actions, saying he wanted to take control of the way he was being presented in the media and that he was not financially motivated. Following this revelation, Thomas decided not to attend the wedding to avoid embarrassing Meghan and the royal family. He also cited health issues as a reason for his absence, revealing that he had suffered a heart attack and was experiencing severe chest pains. Thomas underwent heart surgery on the morning of the wedding and was unable to travel to England.

In the days leading up to the wedding, Thomas wavered in his decision, at one point telling TMZ that he still hoped to walk his daughter down the aisle. However, his health issues persisted, and he ultimately decided to focus on his recovery. Meghan released a statement confirming that her father would not be attending the wedding and asking for privacy for him.

Thomas's absence left a void in the wedding plans, as it is traditional for the bride's father to walk her down the aisle. Meghan asked her future father-in-law, Prince Charles, to accompany her instead, which he happily accepted. This break from tradition added a unique and modern twist to the royal wedding.

While Thomas's health issues were a significant factor in his decision not to attend the wedding, it is worth noting that Meghan's relationship with her father and other family members was already strained. Meghan's half-siblings, Samantha and Thomas Markle Jr., were not invited to the wedding, and her half-sister Samantha had been critical of Meghan and the royals in the media. Other extended family members, such as Meghan's former sister-in-law Tracy Dooley and her nephews, were also not invited but travelled to the UK to act as television commentators on the big day.

Meghan's half-sister, Samantha Markle, was behind the staged photos

Meghan Markle's half-sister, Samantha Markle, was responsible for staging paparazzi photos of their father, Thomas Markle, in the lead-up to Meghan's wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. The photos showed Thomas Markle arriving at an internet cafe in Mexico, browsing the web for pictures of Meghan and Prince Harry, reading a book titled "Images of Britain", and later getting a suit tailored.

Samantha admitted to convincing her father to hire a photographer to take the pictures, stating that she wanted him to "show the world [he's] getting in shape". She also claimed that her father was not paid for the photos, or that if he was, it was a small amount.

The staged photos caused controversy, particularly as they came after Kensington Palace had issued a warning to publishers to respect Mr Markle's privacy, stating that he had been "harassed" by paparazzi. The incident further strained the relationship between Meghan and Samantha, who was not invited to the royal wedding.

Samantha Markle has been a vocal critic of Meghan and has a history of making negative comments about her half-sister to the press. She has also published a tell-all memoir, "The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister", in which she describes her sister as a "monster", "cold-hearted", and "controlling". Meghan, on the other hand, has denied having a relationship with Samantha, claiming to have only seen her half-sister a handful of times while growing up.

Meghan's mother Doria Ragland attended the wedding

Meghan Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, was in attendance at her daughter's wedding to Prince Harry. Doria is a social worker and yoga instructor from California. She wore a custom dress and day coat in mint green, designed by Oscar de la Renta, and a hat by British milliner Stephen Jones.

Doria arrived at the wedding with her daughter, travelling with Meghan by car to Windsor Castle. Doria sat in the pews of the chapel opposite Queen Elizabeth II. Meghan's father, Thomas Markle Sr., did not attend the wedding, so it was speculated that Doria would walk her daughter down the aisle. However, it was later confirmed that Prince Charles would fulfil this duty.

Doria played an important role in the wedding planning. Meghan flew to Los Angeles to meet with her mother in the weeks before the wedding, bringing sketches of her wedding dress and details of the big day. Doria also flew out to London early to help with preparations and to meet her new in-laws, including the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Doria and Meghan have a very close relationship. Meghan has described her mother as her "number one cheerleader", and has written about their bond in her blog and in Glamour magazine. Meghan reportedly helped fund her mother's master's degree, and Doria has accompanied her daughter to public events, including the Invictus Games in 2017.

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