The Duchess of Sussex's father, Thomas Markle, spoke to ITV's Good Morning Britain on Monday – telling hosts Piers Morgan and Susannah Reid about the moment he told Meghan and Prince Harry that he wouldn't be able to attend their wedding. During the interview, he revealed his disappointment at not being able to walk his daughter down the aisle due to his ill health, saying: "I absolutely wanted to walk my daughter down the aisle. I'm recovering from a heart operation but I'm doing much better."
Of the moment he told the couple he wouldn't make the wedding, he said: "They were disappointed. Meghan cried, I'm sure, and they both said, 'Take care of yourself, we are really worried about you'." On Prince Charles stepping up to walk his daughter down the aisle, he said: "I was honoured, I can't think of a better replacement than someone like Prince Charles."
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The 73-year-old also opened up about the moment Prince Harry asked him for Meghan's hand in marriage. "Harry asked for her hand on the phone and I said: 'You are a gentleman, promise me you will never raise your hand against my daughter and of course I will grant you my permission'," he told the programme. He went on to admit how fond he is of the Duke of Sussex, saying, "He's great, he's an interesting guy."
Thomas spoke openly about the controversy that arose when he was allegedly caught staging photographs with the paparazzi, too. "I spoke to them both and I apologised. I realised it was a serious mistake. It's hard to take it back," he said.
Speaking of his daughter's new royal status, he admitted that he wasn't fazed at all that she'd married into the monarchy. "My daughter has been a princess since the day she was born," he said. "He made a good pick, didn't he?"