Royal Wedding Snub: Markle's Parents Left Out

Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle, did not attend her wedding to Prince Harry due to a combination of health issues and a paparazzi scandal. Thomas Markle had reportedly accepted money from paparazzi to stage photos of him preparing for the wedding. This caused a backlash, and Thomas Markle decided not to attend the wedding to avoid embarrassing his daughter and the royal family. He also suffered a heart attack a few days before the wedding and had to check himself out of the hospital. Meghan Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, was expected to walk her down the aisle.

Thomas Markle Sr. staged paparazzi photos of himself

Thomas Markle Sr., the father of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, made headlines in the lead-up to his daughter's wedding to Prince Harry in 2018. Markle Sr. was embroiled in controversy after it was revealed that he had staged photographs with a paparazzi photographer in exchange for money.

The staged photos showed Markle Sr. intently studying "Images of Great Britain: A Pictorial Tour Through History" in a Starbucks, as well as capturing him getting in shape and preparing for the wedding. These photos were later discovered to have been staged, and Markle Sr. admitted to conspiring with the photographer. As a result, he decided not to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding, as he did not want to embarrass the royal family or Meghan.

Markle Sr. expressed regret for his actions, stating that he realized it was a serious mistake. He apologized to Meghan and Harry, acknowledging that he had made a wrong decision. In an interview with "Good Morning Britain," he shared his emotions about not being able to walk his daughter down the aisle and his pride in watching her marry. He also thanked Prince Charles, who stepped in to accompany Meghan down the aisle.

Markle Sr.'s eldest daughter, Samantha, claimed responsibility for the paparazzi conspiracy, stating that her father's intention was not financial gain but to show that he was getting in shape and leading a healthy life. She also mentioned that he had been portrayed negatively by the media for a year, and the staged photos were an attempt to improve his image.

The controversy surrounding Markle Sr.'s staged paparazzi photos was a significant factor in his absence from Meghan's wedding. It caused a media frenzy and raised questions about the relationship between Markle Sr. and his daughter, leading to further complications in the lead-up to the royal wedding.

He accepted money for the photos

In the weeks leading up to the royal wedding, Thomas Markle was found to have accepted money from paparazzi in exchange for staged photos of him getting ready for the wedding. Photos of Markle intently studying "Images of Great Britain: A Pictorial Tour Through History" in a Starbucks quickly went viral but were later discovered to have been staged. Markle told TMZ that he decided to participate in the photoshoot because he wanted to change his image. For the last year, he had been portrayed in a negative light by the media, with photographers capturing him in unflattering situations, such as buying beer and taking out the garbage. He felt that the staged photos would present him in a more positive light.

Markle's half-sister, Samantha Grant, claimed that she was behind the idea for the staged photos. She told ITV, "I have to say I am entirely the culprit... I said, 'You have to show the world you're getting in shape.' It was my suggestion. I don't believe he was paid and if he was it was a pittance. I can understand it's awkward for Kensington Palace." However, Markle himself told TMZ that he was offered money by the paparazzi agency, although it was nowhere near the reported $100k. He also clarified that his decision was not principally about money.

The revelation of the staged photos caused a backlash, with many criticizing Markle for trying to profit from the wedding. The Mail on Sunday published photos of Markle, which they claimed had earned up to £100,000. Markle acknowledged that the photos were “stupid and hammy.” He apologized to his daughter Meghan and her husband-to-be, Prince Harry, saying that he realized it was a “serious mistake.” He also shared that he did not want to embarrass the royal family or his daughter, which ultimately led to his decision not to attend the wedding.

In the end, Prince Charles stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle during the ceremony at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. While Thomas Markle expressed his regret at not being able to be part of the special day, he was thankful for how everything turned out. He also shared his gratitude towards Prince Charles for stepping in, saying, "I can't think of a better replacement than Prince Charles... He looked very handsome. I was jealous, I wish it was me, but thank God he was there and I thank him for that."

He suffered a heart attack

Thomas Markle, Meghan Markle's father, did not attend her wedding to Prince Harry due to a heart attack and a paparazzi scandal. Markle suffered a heart attack six days before the wedding and checked himself out of the hospital, intending to still attend. However, he ultimately decided not to go through with it because he did not want to embarrass the royal family or his daughter.

Markle had accepted money from paparazzi to pose for staged photos in the weeks leading up to the wedding. The photos showed him supposedly getting ready for the event, including images of him studying "Images of Great Britain: A Pictorial Tour Through History" in a Starbucks and trying on a suit. These photos were later revealed to be staged, with Markle's half-sister, Samantha, taking credit for the idea.

The scandal caused a backlash, and Markle decided to withdraw from the wedding. He expressed regret at not being able to walk his daughter down the aisle and apologised to Meghan and Harry for his error in judgment.

Meghan Markle released a statement via Kensington Palace, announcing her decision to proceed with the wedding without her father present. She confirmed that Thomas Sr. was ill and asked that he be given space to focus on his health.

The heart attack and the paparazzi scandal surrounding Thomas Markle's absence from the wedding caused a media frenzy, with various news outlets reporting on the story. Ultimately, Prince Charles stepped in to walk Meghan Markle down the aisle, and the wedding went ahead as planned.

He didn't want to embarrass Meghan or the Royal Family

Thomas Markle, Meghan Markle's father, did not attend her wedding to Prince Harry. In the lead-up to the wedding, Thomas Markle admitted to staging paparazzi photos of himself preparing for the wedding. He was photographed intently studying Images of Great Britain: A Pictorial Tour Through History in a Starbucks, as well as looking at landmarks of Britain, Googling his daughter's wedding online, and trying on a suit. These photos were later revealed to be staged, with Markle's half-sister, Samantha, taking credit for the idea.

Thomas Markle told TMZ that he did not want to embarrass his daughter or the Royal Family and that this was the reason for his absence at the wedding. He also shared that he had suffered a heart attack six days prior and had checked himself out of the hospital, but ultimately decided not to travel to the wedding.

In an interview with Good Morning Britain after the wedding, Thomas Markle expressed his regret at not being able to walk his daughter down the aisle. He said, "I regretted it because I really wanted to walk her down the aisle. But I'm thankful for how it all went." He also shared that he was jealous that he was not at the wedding but was thankful that Prince Charles, Harry's father, stepped in.

In the days before the wedding, Kensington Palace released a statement saying, "This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding. She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation."

He apologised to Meghan and Harry

Thomas Markle, Meghan's father, apologised to his daughter and son-in-law over the phone. Speaking to TMZ, he said:

> I realized it was a serious mistake. It's hard to take it back... I apologized for it and that’s all I can do. I can't do much beyond that. That was a mistake.

He also told "Good Morning Britain":

> I apologized to [Meghan and Harry]... I thought this would be a nice way of me improving my look. Well obviously that all went to hell. And I feel bad about it.

Thomas Markle's apology came after he decided not to attend the wedding, as he did not want to “embarrass" the royal family or his daughter. This decision was made after a scandal in which he admitted to accepting money from paparazzi, who took pictures of him supposedly getting ready for the wedding. Photos of him intently studying "Images of Great Britain: A Pictorial Tour Through History" in a Starbucks quickly went viral, but were later discovered to have been staged.

Thomas Markle's non-attendance at the wedding was a disappointment to both Meghan and Harry. In a tearful phone call, they told him:

> Take care of yourself, we are really worried about you.

Thomas Markle's absence meant that Meghan was walked down the aisle by Prince Charles instead.

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