Royal Wedding 2018: Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland flies in to be at her daughter's side for Saturday's ceremony

Clear for take-off: Doria Ragland leaves her home clutching a Burberry dress bag as she heads to the airport in Los Angeles
TheMegaAgency.com
Robert Jobson16 May 2018

Meghan Markle’s mother Doria Ragland flew into Britain today to be at her daughter’s side ahead of the royal wedding.

The yoga instructor and social worker was driven to Los Angeles International airport this morning for a flight to London to be reunited with Prince Harry’s bride.

Her calming presence will be welcomed by Kensington Palace after days of embarrassing turmoil caused by Meghan’s father Thomas Markle after he was caught colluding with paparazzi to stage photos.

After a rollercoaster few days, it now appears that Mr Markle will not attend the wedding in Windsor after all because he was due to under go heart surgery today.

Ms Ragland was driven to Los Angeles International airport this morning for a flight to London
TheMegaAgency.com

It is the third U-turn over his involvement and came just hours after Meghan seemed to have convinced him to walk her down the aisle.

The 73-year-old, who lives in Mexico, told TMZ that doctors will “go in and clear blockage, repair damage, and put a stent where it is needed” during this afternoon’s operation,

Support: Jessica Mulroney flies into Heathrow today with husband Ben and their children, bridesmaid Ivy, aged four, and seven-year-old twins Brian and John, who will be pageboys
Constant Media

The retired lighting director suffered a heart attack a week ago, which he believes was triggered by an open letter his son, Thomas Jr, wrote trying to convince Harry not to marry Meghan.

Ms Ragland, 61, was seen carrying a Burberry bag as she was picked up outside her California home by a black SUV to whisk her to a VIP private suite at LAX.

Thomas Markle, pictured here with a young Meghan, suffered a heart attack a week ago (Splash News )
Splash News

Doria will stay with Meghan, 36, at the Clivedon House Hotel in Taplow, where rooms cost up to £1,500, on the night before he wedding and ride in the car to the service with her daughter.

She is now the 4/6 bookies’ favourite to walk her down the aisle instead of her father.

Another option is for The Prince of Wales, who gets on very well with the Suits star, to step into the breach if needed.

On way: Doria Ragland leaves her Los Angeles home today — with Burberry baggage — for the flight to London (Backgrid )
Backgrid

In more positive news for Meghan - who weds Prince Harry at St George’s Chapel at noon on Saturday - one of her closest friends Canadian fashion stylist Jessica Mulroney, and her husband Ben and their three children, jetted in to support her ahead of the wedding.

Ben is the eldest son of former Prime Minister of Canada Brian Mulroney and his wife Mila.

Today it was announced that their children Ivy, aged 4, and twin seven year old boys Brian and John will be among the 10 bridesmaids and page boys selected for the ceremony alongside Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Prince Harry will marry Meghan Markle this Saturday in Windsor 
PA

Kensington Palace have confirmed that Meghan will not have a maid of honour but only children in these official roles in the ceremony.

But as “Team Meghan” rallied to her side, her half-sister Samantha Grant - dubbed a “vulture” by ITV’s Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan for trashing her estranged sister’s wedding - again criticised her.

She told Sunrise, Australia’s top rated breakfast show, that Meghan should have “rolled out the red carpet” for her father.

Ms Grant also claimed late last night that her father was “prepping” for the heart operation - but bizarrely still hoped to get to the wedding.

He told Sunrise hosts David Koch and Samantha Armytage, “Well don’t believe the tabloids but we’re really not sure at this point.

“Everything about him being under an incredible amount of stress is true and you know he sent me a message that he was undergoing heart surgery.

“He’s been under a tremendous amount of stress amidst health challenges and I hope I think we’re all hoping that he pulls through this now and can still go to the wedding.”

She went on, “He sent me a message that he was prepping for surgery about an hour ago so it’s a little more imminent than tomorrow.

“I can’t speak for him – it depends on the extent and the complications of the surgery I don’t know what that entails yet so I am leaving that up to his doctors so my concern is he pulls through safely and whatever happens after that we’ll see.”

She also slammed her brother Thomas Markle Junior in the same interview claiming he should never have written the open letter in which he said Harry should call off the wedding.

Earlier Thomas Markle, 73, told TMZ his heart was “seriously damaged” after a recent heart attack but he still wants to attend the wedding.

“I hate the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle,” TMZ reported him as saying, adding that he had received a text from Meghan saying she loved him and was worried about his health.

Mr Markle reportedly said that while his staged pictures were “stupid” he did not believe the Queen would be upset.

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