Who is Thomas Markle and will he be going to the Royal wedding?

Question marks: It has been unclear whether Thomas Markle will attend the wedding
Lucia Binding16 May 2018

The days before Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s big day have been plagued by a media storm surrounding the bride's father.

Thomas Markle, 73, was involved in staged paparazzi photographs with a British photographer last week, with the Mail on Sunday publishing CCTV footage of him looking up pictures of Prince Harry in an internet café.

Despite his eldest daughter Samantha Grant taking the blame on Good Morning Britain, claiming no money had been exchanged for the shots, Mr Markle pulled of the Royal wedding on May 19, calling the paparazzi incident “stupid and hammy”.

After two days of back and forth, he was reported to be planning to attend the wedding once again to walk his daughter down the aisle at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

(Photo Courtesy of Thomas Markle Jr / Supplied by John Chapple / www.JohnChapple.com / )
Photo Courtesy of Thomas Markle Jr / Supplied by John Chapple / www.JohnChapple.com /

On Tuesday, he finally told US website TMZ that he was due to have heart surgery after suffering a heart attack and would not be able to go after all.

"They [doctors] will go in and clear blockage, repair damage and put a stent where it is needed," he told the site.

He added: "I hate the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle.”

Who is Thomas Markle?

Thomas W Markle is the father of former Suits actress Meghan Markle, who is marrying Prince Harry this Saturday in Windsor.

An accomplished TV lighting director, Mr Markle has worked on the iconic US shows Married with Children and General Hospital.

Thomas Markle with a baby Meghan

He won two Daytime Emmy Awards for his work on General Hospital and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his work lighting the stars at the 58th Annual Academy Awards.

His profession resulted in his young daughter, Meghan, often visiting the set of Married…with Children, which inspired her to go into acting.

She told Esquire in 2013: “Every day after school for 10 years, I was on the set of Married … with Children, which is a really funny and perverse place for a little girl in a Catholic school uniform to grow up.”

How he met Meghan’s mother

Mr Markle met Doria Ragland, a yoga instructor and social worker, in 1979.

The couple wed and moved to a Los Angeles neighbourhood that was “leafy and affordable”, and had Meghan an August 4 1981.

They divorced in 1988 when Meghan was six years old.

On her parents’ relationship, she wrote in a 2016 Elle UK essay: “I like to think he was drawn to her sweet eyes and her Afro, plus their shared love of antiques.”

Meghan with her mother Doria Ragland
PA

First marriage

Meghan has two half-siblings, Samantha and Thomas Jr, who are the children from Mr Markle’s first marriage to Roslyn Loveless.

Samantha Grant has been the most vocal of member of the Markle family in the media and is 17 years older than Meghan.

Bankruptcy

Mr Markle declared himself bankrupt in California two years ago and now resides in Rosarito Beach, Mexico.

What Meghan says

The bride-to-be has said nothing but positive things about her father since becoming a public figure.

“Happy Father's Day, daddy. I'm still your buckaroo, and to this day your hugs are still the very best in the whole wide world," she wrote on Instagram in 2016.

"Thanks for my work ethic, my love of Busby Berkeley films & club sandwiches, for teaching me the importance of handwritten thank you notes, and for giving me that signature Markle nose. I love you xo -Bean," she added.

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