Meghan Markle’s father Thomas Markle will have to miss his daughter’s royal marriage to Prince Harry after doctors scheduled major heart surgery for him on Wednesday.
According to TMZ Tuesday, Markle said he won’t be able to make it to the royal wedding because doctors “will go in and clear blockage, repair damage and put a stent where it is needed” after he suffered a heart attack last week.
The comments came after another report by TMZ Tuesday said , Markle had changed his original tune of not attending the wedding because he did not “want to embarrass the royal family or his daughter.” It follows reports that photos of him looking online at news about his daughter’s big day while visiting an internet cafe were allegedly “staged.”
Britain’s Prince Harry (R) and his fiancee US actress Meghan Markle attend a Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey in central London, on March 12, 2018. (Photo: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)
Markle said he partnered with a paparazzi agency to help “recast his image.”
He now said what he did was “stupid,” but not a serious-enough mistake as to miss his daughter’s wedding.
“I hate the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle,” Markle shared. “Of course I’d walk her down the aisle. This is a historic moment. I’d like to be a part of history.”
The bride-to-be reportedly texted her father on Monday following the news reports telling him she loved him and was concerned about his health and not upset with her father over the photos.
Kensington Palace has not commented on the gossip site’s reports, only said Monday that the soon to be royal couple ask for “understanding and respect” during this time.
“This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding,” a spokesperson for Kensington Palace told CNN. “She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation.”
The royal wedding will take place Saturday at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
Update: This story has been updated to reflect that Markle will now have heart surgery and miss his daughter’s wedding.