Prince Charles will walk Meghan Markle down the aisle, it has been confirmed.
Kensington Palace has announced The Prince of Wales will do the honour after Meghan’s own father, Thomas, pulled out of attending the royal wedding due to poor health.
Meghan will marry Charles’ son Prince Harry on Saturday.
A statement read: “Ms Meghan Markle has asked His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to accompany her down the aisle of the Quire at St George’s Chapel on her Wedding Day.
“The Prince of Wales is pleased to be able to welcome Ms Markle to the Royal Family in this way.”
Read more: First look at Harry and Meghan’s wedding cake
It ends speculation that Meghan’s mum, Doria Ragland, could walk her down the aisle in place of her father.
Doria, who arrived in the UK from LA earlier this week, will accompany Meghan in the car from their hotel to Windsor Castle.
Meghan, 36, will tie the knot with Prince Harry, 33, at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle at noon this Saturday.
An update on the #RoyalWedding: pic.twitter.com/wfJ6ZFyzHi
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) May 18, 2018
Kensington Palace had previously said Meghan’s dad would walk her down the aisle.
But Meghan confirmed yesterday that Thomas, 73, would be unable to attend the royal wedding after undergoing heart surgery.
The former actress said: “Sadly my father will not be attending our wedding. I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.
“I would like to thank everyone who has offered generous messages of support.”
Meghan added: “Please know how much Harry and I look forward to sharing our special day with you on Saturday.”
Thomas, who lives in Mexico, is recovering after a heart procedure on Wednesday.
He told TMZ he will remain in hospital for the next few days, ruling out any chance he could travel to the UK for the wedding.
The former Hollywood lighting director, who split from Meghan’s mum when she was a child, said he needed stents in his blood vessels to correct damage caused by an earlier heart attack.
A statement from Ms. Meghan Markle: pic.twitter.com/TjBNarmuBU
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) May 17, 2018
It’s been a confusing week ahead of the royal wedding.
On Monday night, Thomas said he’d pulled out of the wedding, amid speculation he’d worked with a photography agency on staged paparazzi pictures.
It was claimed Thomas didn’t want to cause any further embarrassment, and was also concerned about his poor health.
At the time, Kensington Palace reacted with a statement reading: “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.”
The following day Mr Markle suggested he’d changed his mind and was keen to walk Meghan down the aisle.
However, shortly afterwards Thomas told TMZ he would not attend the wedding after all due to a required heart procedure.
Meghan’s estranged half-sister Samantha, meanwhile, has said she was the person who pushed Thomas to pose for the staged paparazzi pictures, as she wanted to show him in a good light after unflattering photos of him emerged.
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