NEW WEDDING DETAILS
SPECULATION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, would walk her down the aisle has finally been clarified with a Kensington Palace announcement revealing Meghan will walk into the chapel on her father’s arm, after arriving at Windsor Castle with her mother, Doria Ragland, beside her. “Ms Markle is delighted to have her parents by her side on this important and happy occasion,” the palace said. The bride-to-be’s parents will arrive in the UK the week leading up to the May 19 wedding, giving them a chance to meet with Harry’s family, including the Queen and Prince Philip.
News of her father’s role in the ceremony came after Meghan’s halfbrother, Thomas Markle Jr, wrote a scathing letter claiming their father had not received an invitation to the wedding and had been left in financial ruin having supported Meghan through school and her career. Refuting these claims, a source close to the actress says: “Meghan loves her dad. She’s been supportive of him in every way, including financially. She has paid many of her father’s bills.” When Meghan was a budding actress at Immaculate Heart school in Los Angeles, “Her dad was such a sweetheart,” says a former classmate. “He did the sets for our plays, which was a huge thing for us. She was close with her parents.”
The Palace also revealed Meghan has decided against having a maid of honour. “She has a very close-knit circle of friends and she didn’t want to choose one over another,” palace spokesman Jason Knauf said, adding the bridesmaids and pageboys would be children—fuelling speculation that Harry’s nephew and niece, Prince George and Princess Charlotte would be given roles in the ceremony.