Meghan Markle‘s father has reportedly decided not to attend the Royal Wedding, following shock reports that he staged several paparazzi photoshoots.
TMZ reports Thomas Markle won’t walk his daughter down the aisle to marry Prince Harry on Saturday as he doesn’t want to cause the Royal Family any further embarrassment.
The news comes after The Daily Mail claimed the senior Markle conspired with British paparazzo Jeff Rayner to stage several cutesy photos, including an image of Markle reading a picture book entitled Images Of Britain.
The Daily Mail reports that Markle was paid around $180,000 for the series of stunt images.
Markle told TMZ that money wasn’t his primary motivation to stage the images. Instead, he claims he wanted the photos to change his perception among the public, after other legitimate paparazzi photos showed him looking particularly, well, dad-like.
The stunt images, and the allegation that Markle was paid for them, apparently had the opposite effect. Markle told TMZ the photos are “stupid and hammy,” and that he seriously regrets working with the paparazzi agency in the first place.
TMZ also states the senior Markle suffered a heart attack less than a week ago, but checked himself out of hospital regardless in order to attend the wedding.
Kensington Palace has issued a statement on the issue, calling the situation “a deeply personal moment” and that the couple “ask for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation.”
