Why Meghan Markle’s Father Says He’s Not Attending Royal Wedding Anymore

The Royal Wedding between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry is less than a week away, but big changes to the services are still being made. The former actress’ father, Thomas Markle, will no longer be attending the event, which means not only will Meghan not have her father there to witness her nuptials, but she also won’t have him to walk her down the aisle.

This news comes after it was revealed that Thomas made a deal with the paparazzi to take photos of him as he prepared for the wedding. When speaking with TMZ, he said that it wasn’t just about the money, as he’s been offered various amounts of money for interviews and photos in the past and has always declined. He said a lot of it was about being in control of what pictures were being taken of him, since there have been many unflattering ones of him in the past that didn’t show him in the best light.

He now regrets working with the photo agency and told TMZ that the pictures are “stupid and hammy.” Still, he planned to attend Meghan’s wedding, even after suffering a heart attack six days ago, he said. He left the hospital, ready to continue preparing for the ceremony, but he’s since decided that it would be best for him to stay away from the services, in order to not draw any attention away from his daughter on her big day.

With so much of the spotlight currently on him over the photo controversy and only a few days left to go until the Royal Wedding on May 19 at Windsor Castle in England, Thomas doesn’t want to attend and embarrass Meghan or any of the Royal Family.

Kensington Palace released a statement regarding the news, saying, “This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding.”

There’s still time for him to change his mind, but if he doesn’t, the next question Meghan will have to figure out is: Who, if anyone, will walk her down the aisle?