Meghan Markle confirmed Thursday that her father will not be present to walk her down the aisle when she marries Prince Harry, in a late announcement hinting at disarray behind Britain's meticulously planned royal wedding. "Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding. I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health," she said in a statement issued through Kensington Palace, Harry's official residence.
Thomas Markle, 73, underwent heart surgery on Wednesday following a paparazzi scandal and a series of U-turns over his intention to attend. The pre-ceremony fiasco would be enough to derail many a wedding, but on Thursday preparations in Windsor, west of London, ploughed ahead with a dress rehearsal to fine-tune arrangements ahead of the big day.
The practice session saw military marches and a dry-run of the carriage procession, which will whisk Harry and his bride around the town to greet the crowds after their wedding at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. The couple made a brief appearance, surprising crowds milling around the rehearsal route by pulling in to Windsor Castle via the famous Long Walk promenade, as preparations for Saturday enter the final countdown.
They were later spotted leaving. Markle was set to reunite with her mother Doria Ragland on Thursday before meeting Queen Elizabeth II for tea, according to The Sun newspaper. Harry and Markle will part ways on Friday, spending the night in separate hotels before they tie the knot. Harry will be joined by his brother and best man Prince William at Coworth Park, whilst Markle will stay with her mother at Cliveden House Hotel.
Diehard royalists have already started camping out in the town to secure the best viewing spots along the carriage route. But among the tourists milling around the historic town ahead of the big day, there was concern about the last-minute crisis in the Markle family. "I do feel a bit sorry for her. It's all so complicated isn't it? Families are always complicated," said Annie Warwick, a tourist visiting Windsor with her daughter, Katie. Ian Dance, a tourist from Swindon in southwest England, told AFP: "She must be devastated. But I think Harry, he's a good lad, he'll make sure that she's all right."