Who Will Walk Meghan Markle Down the Aisle?
Thomas Markle says he won't make it to his daughter Meghan's royal wedding to Prince Harry on Saturday because he'll be undergoing heart surgery. The news follows his previous back-and-forth updates on whether he'd attend the ceremony. On Monday he said he would skip the event following the controversy over his staged paparazzi photos, and today he said he wants to go to walk his daughter down the aisle.
Now, considering his surgery, it looks like Markle won't make it to the royal wedding. The 73-year-old Rosarito, Mexico resident, was supposed to be en route to the UK to meet with members of the royal family at this time.
Kensington Palace has yet to confirm who will walk Meghan down the aisle in her father's place. However, a spokesperson addressed reports of his absence yesterday with a statement, calling the situation a "a deeply personal moment" for the bride-to-be. "She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation," the rep said.
A statement from Kensington Palace: "This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding. She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation."
- Omid Scobie (@scobie) May 14, 2018
So could take Thomas Markle's place at the ceremony? Below, we weigh out the possibilities.
Doria Ragland
The frontrunner seems to be Meghan Markle's mother, who raised her after she and Thomas Markle divorced when Meghan was six years old. Ragland already arrived in London last week and is set to meet members of the royal family, including the Queen, Prince Charles, Prince Philip, and Kate Middleton.
The mother of the bride already has an important role for the ceremony. She'll accompany her daughter for the car ride from her overnight location to St. George's Chapel on the big day. Perhaps she can add walking Meghan down the aisle to her list of day-of responsibilities?
It was previously rumored in January that Meghan wanted her mother to give her away. "I’ve heard that Meghan wants her mother to walk her down the aisle, which would be a sweet moment," a source close to Markle and Prince Harry told Us Weekly at the time.
Prince Charles
It's not uncommon for a bride to have her future father-in-law walk her down the aisle. "Modern brides" have gone with this option if their father is deceased or if they're not on speaking terms, according to Entertainment Tonight.
The Prince of Wales and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, seem quite excited for Meghan to join the family. "We're thrilled, thank you very much, for both of them," he told reporters after announcing the engagement. "I hope they'll be very happy, indeed, is all I can say. It's marvelous."
Harry's father is already playing a role on May 19, as host of the second wedding reception at Frogmore House that night. It's possible he could step in during the daytime ceremony as well.
Prince William
This wouldn't be the first time a royal bride was joined by a brother-in-law down the aisle. Princess Margaret was given away by her sister's husband, Prince Philip, for her 1960 wedding to Antony Armstrong-Jones, since her father King George VI passed away eight years prior. Will history repeat itself 58 years later?
Meghan and the Duke of Cambridge appear to have gotten close, especially now that they're neighbors on Kensington Palace grounds. In addition to attending several official engagements together, he and Kate Middleton also reportedly hosted Meghan and Harry for Christmas at their holiday home, Anmer Hall.
Aside from being neighbors and in-laws, Meghan and William are now also colleagues in the Royal Foundation Trust. "I am particularly happy to be at our first Royal Foundation event with Meghan," he said at their first joint event in February.
Prince William is already playing best man at the royal wedding; will his duties include escorting the bride to the altar?
Prince Harry
This route may be uncommon, but Entertainment Tonight reports that some brides have "chosen to walk down the aisle alone halfway, where the groom then meets them to walk to the altar together."
This has happened at royal unions before. At Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles' wedding in 2005, the bride and groom entered together at the religious ceremony, New York Times reports. It's unknown how they made their entrance at the preceding civil ceremony, which was completely private to the royal family.
A close friend
Another untraditional option Markle could go with is having a close pal accompany her down the aisle. She won't have a maid of honor because she wasn't able to choose between her tight-knit group of friends, but is it possible she'll pick one to fill in for her dad?
Meghan's friends are already "actively involved" in helping her prepare for the wedding, and the bride "will be pleased to have their support on the day," Daily Mail reports. We wonder if they'll play a big role at St. George's Chapel on May 19.
No one
This is reportedly a popular option for older brides and second weddings, according to The Spruce. This actually is Meghan's second wedding, since she was previously married to producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 to 2013.
We wouldn't be too surprised if Markle, a staunch and vocal feminist, decided to take to the aisle solo. People also notes that the gesture would be a "meaningful show of personal strength," especially after being surrounded with family drama in the media in the past few months.
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