AFTER A ROLLARCOASTER few days of ‘will-he-won’t-he’, it’s been announced that Meghan Markle’s father will not be attending the Royal Wedding on Saturday.
This morning, Kensington Palace released a statement today on behalf of Meghan Markle:
It reads:
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. Please know how much Harry and I loo forward to sharing our special day with you on Saturday.
It’s not clear now who will walk Meghan up the aisle at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
It had been revealed on Monday that Meghan’s father had staged photographs with the paparazzi, and so began a ping-pong of whether he would attend the wedding. Yesterday, he apparently had heart surgery, after a heart attack 3 days ago.
No one really knows what’s been going on behind the scenes, but Meghan clearly has a strained relationship with her father who has only spoke to her future husband on the phone, and not met in person.
One friend who can relate to this is Meghan’s friend, tennis champion and GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), Serena Williams. She’s just revealed that her Dad pulled out of her wedding on the actual day of the ceremony.
The two struck up a friendship in September 2014, after teaming up to a play a game of flag (American) football at Celebrity Beach Bowl, which is a popular event of the Super Bowl weekend.
It was thought that Harry and Meghan would attend her friend Serena’s wedding to reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in New Orleans, Louisana.
Stars such as Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and Anna Wintour attended. However, the royal couple never made an appearance. Their no-show made sense, when ten days later, Harry and Meghan announced their engagement.
In her new HBO documentary Being Serena, the tennis legend revealed that her dad texted her an hour before the wedding ceremony to say that he did not feel comfortable giving her away.
Serena, I don’t want you to be mad at me, but I just can’t walk you down the aisle. I’m not myself anymore. I’m just too nervous”
Her dad was too nervous?!
He’s not the one devoting life-long commitment to one person! Despite throwing a spanner in the works on what can be a hugely stressful day, Serena was incredibly gracious to her dad, texting back to say:
Daddy, it’s okay, if you don’t want to come to the wedding at all, that’s okay too. I’m not going to be upset with you about it, so I don’t want you to be upset about it.
Serena further elaborated on how she was able to be so compassionate, explaining:
Maybe a lot of daughters wouldn’t react the same way, but I know the struggles he’s had these last few years
Serena Williams – sound as a pound!
But I suppose if you’ve won 23 grand slam titles by yourself, you’re not going to be nervous about a wedding detail gone awry.
Serena is rumoured to be attending Meghan’s nuptials to Harry, and by the sounds of it, Meghan couldn’t have a more understanding friend to be at her side.
