Could the Royal Wedding be cancelled? Why Meghan and Harry’s big day WILL go ahead despite Royal Wedding dramas
THE Royal Wedding is set to go ahead despite Meghan Markle’s dad not attending.
Thomas Markle was expected to arrive in London on May 15 ahead of the Saturday ceremony but has pulled out due to heart surgery. Here’s more on the Royal Wedding drama.
Will the Royal Wedding go ahead?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to tie the knot at midday this Saturday.
The big day will not be cancelled, despite the bride's father having to miss the occasion.
On May 16, Kensington Palace announced the bridesmaids and page boys chosen by the happy couple.
Meghan has since released an official statement confirming her dad won't be attending the ceremony.
On May 19, the couple will say "I do" at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, before going on a procession around the streets of Windsor.
The bride’s dad underwent heart surgery on May 16 following a heart attack last week. It is said that the operation was "successful".
It is the second time the 73-year-old retired lighting director has pulled out of the wedding.
The first time he refused to come was after being caught staging paparazzi shots in Mexico for around £100,000.
It has been claimed the set-up shots were an ill-fated bid to improve his image, pushed by Meghan’s half-sister Samantha.
Her mum Doria Ragland has had a whirlwind of introductions since jetting into London to save the day after Royal Wedding preparations were thrown into chaos.
What has Kensington Palace said?
Kensington Palace issued a statement on behalf of the couple after news broke that Thomas Markle would no longer be attending the wedding.
A spokesman said: "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."
What other royal wedding dramas have gone down in the past?
Princess Diana
Princess Diana famously declared that there were always three people in her marriage – with the third being his long-time love Camilla Parker Bowles.
According to a Prince Charles biography penned by Sally Bedell Smith, Diana overheard Charles "murmuring endearments" to Camilla on the phone hours before their ceremony in 1981.
Charles also decided to buy gifts for a dozen of his close friends, including Camilla, ahead of the ceremony.
Bedell Smith explained how Camilla's gift was a gold bracelet personalised with a blue enamel disk engraved with the initials "GF".
The monogram stood for "Girl Friday", Charles's nickname for her.
To make matters worse, Camilla had been invited to Diana and Charles’ wedding, leaving the royal bride in tears.
Diana also endured a nightmare honeymoon with Charles who apparently carried a photo of Camilla with him and wore cufflinks with her and his "CC" initials on them.
Princess Charlene of Monaco
Internationally, similar dramas went down in the run up to Princess Charlene of Monaco’s wedding to Prince Albert II in 2011.
It has repeatedly been claimed that Charlene attempted to run away from the wedding three times and was desperate to return home to South Africa.
The then-33-year-old bride reportedly made her first escape attempt when she travelled to Paris to try on her wedding dress.
She is said to have sought refuge in the South African embassy in Paris, according to allegations in the French media.
Le Journal du Dimanche later reported that months later, Charlene made a second apparent attempt to escape during the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix.
As she planned a third escape, royal officials are said to have confiscated her passport en route to Nice airport via the helicopter service that runs between the Mediterranean principality and France.
Reports have suggested that the bride’s escape attempts centred on new claims of more secret children fathered by her groom.
Palace officials managed to convince her to go ahead with the wedding but even today, Princess Charlene is still known as the "reluctant bride".
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