Unclear who will walk Markle down aisle
Father said he was set to have heart procedure
LONDON — The question of whether Meghan Markle’s father will walk his daughter down the aisle to marry Britain’s Prince Harry or attend the wedding persisted Wednesday as royal representatives remained tight-lipped on possible changes to the program.
Harry’s press office declined to comment on a celebrity news website’s report that Thomas Markle, 73, needed a heart procedure and would not be well enough to fly to England.
The uncertainty over his health and attendance at Saturday’s wedding came from comments TMZ said the father made exclusively to the site. His condition has not been independently confirmed.
Thomas Markle, a retired Hollywood cinematographer who lives in Mexico, told TMZ he would receive a stent and other treatment for blocked coronary arteries on Wednesday morning.
Stent procedures done on a non-emergency basis typically do not require long hospital stays, but the recovery guidance likely would rule out a lengthy plane trip to England right after surgery.
The bride’s parents divorced when she was a child. Her mother, Doria Ragland, is traveling from Los Angeles to England for the wedding and is scheduled to ride with her daughter to St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle before the ceremony.
Ragland is also scheduled to visit with Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prince William and his wife, Kate, and other senior royals this week.
The palace has not announced any alternative plans for Thomas Markle’s role of accompanying his daughter through the chapel to meet the groom. An official announcement is expected if it’s confirmed that he will not be making it to the wedding.