With Meghan Markle and Prince Harry now officially married, the two are reportedly planning on visiting Markle’s father, Thomas Markle Sr., once they get back from their honeymoon.
Markle Sr. was unable to attend the wedding to give his daughter away at St. George’s Chapel after suffering a heart attack a week prior. TMZ reported he chose not to attend because he didn’t want to “embarrass” his family or daughter.
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The 73-year-old watched the royal wedding from home, and gushed about how beautiful the ceremony looked in an interview with TMZ.
“The service was beautiful, and it’s history,” Markle Sr. said. “I will always regret not being able to be there and not being able to hold my daughter’s hand.”
“My baby girl is a duchess, and I love her so much,” he continued. “When you watch your child get married, every thought goes through your mind, every memory from the first day she was born, the first time I held her.”
Along with a message to the rest of his family members telling them to “just shut up about everything” regarding talking to the press about Markle, he wished the happy couple all the best.
“My baby looks beautiful, and she looks very happy,” Markle Sr. said. “I wish I were there and I wish them all my love and all happiness.”
A source told The Sun on Monday that Markle and her father have been in constant contact since the wedding.
“Meghan and Thomas are both devastated he wasn’t able to attend the wedding and have discussed seeing each other soon,” the source said. “They have been speaking all week, mostly by text. She has been worried about him and checking how he is regularly.”
Markle Sr. found himself in a awkward situation a week before the wedding when he paid paparazzi photographers to purposefully take photos of him. A source with The Mirror said Markle Sr. was “deeply embarrassed” by the situation and sincerely apologized to his daughter.
The newlyweds will reportedly not go straight to their honeymoon, instead opting to stay in the United Kingdom for a small period of time to take care of royal duties. They reportedly haven’t picked out a location, but the Daily Telegraph puts Botswana at the top of the list.
The wedding was watched by 18 million people in the United States. The event featured the official wedding ceremony, a lunch reception at Windsor Castle and an evening reception at the Frogmore house.
