
Thomas Markle today finally broke his silence on missing the royal wedding in an extraordinary first ever TV interview where he opened up about Meghan and Harry and spilled intimate secrets about their relationship.

The 73-year-old described his sorrow about pulling out just three days before he was due to walk his daughter down the aisle because of heart surgery and admitted he was jealous but grateful that Prince Charles stepped in.

In a world exclusive interview with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain he revealed Meghan sobbed when he told her he was staying in the US - and he cried as he watched his 'beautiful' daughter marry Harry in Windsor on a small colour TV in a Californian B&B.

Mr Markle gave millions of viewers a blow-by-blow account of his private conversations with Meghan and her new husband and revealed he calls his daughter 'bean' because she loved Jack and the Beanstalk as a child.

His most controversial comments came when he revealed that Harry confided in him that he is 'open to Brexit' and also believes controversial President Donald Trump should be 'given a chance'.

The claims will cause ructions because royals must remain strictly politically neutral - although Harry's father Charles is known for his outspoken views and numerous letters lobbying ministers on his pet causes.

Mr Markle also spoke freely about his daughter's desperate wish to have children and said although she is not pregnant he expects the couple will have a baby 'in the making very soon'.

He is yet to meet his new son-in-law, who asked for his daughter's hand in marriage on the phone last December, to which he replied: 'You are a gentleman, promise me you will never raise your hand against my daughter and of course I will grant you my permission'.

He added today: 'Yeah he's a prince but my daughter has been a princess since the day she was born', adding he hopes to be in London soon to meet the couple and perhaps the Queen.

Mr Markle was paid a 'few thousand pounds' for the tell-all interview with Good Morning Britain and Meghan's father chose to do it because he wanted ‘set the record straight’, host Piers Morgan revealed afterwards.

But the decision is likely to upset the newlyweds because it is understood Kensington Palace was not told and the cash deal raises more questions about his relationship with Meghan after the turmoil he caused before the wedding.

Thomas Markle has finally broken his silence as he expressed his regret at not walking his daughter Meghan down the aisle

Mr Markle revealed that his daughter (pictured together left) cried when he told her that he wasn't coming to London. Harry and his bride are seen on their wedding day (right)

The 73-year-old (pictured on GMB) described his sorrow about pulling out just three days before he was due to walk his daughter down the aisle because of heart surgery and admitted he was jealous but grateful that Prince Charles stepped in

Piers Morgan later revealed on This Morning how Good Morning Britain got the interview of the year with Thomas Markle

Mr Markle's serious health problems emerged days after it was revealed he did a cash deal with the paparazzi to stage photographs in run up to the wedding to improve his image.

Piers Morgan on how Thomas Markle was paid a 'few thousand pounds' for world exclusive TV interview to 'set the record straight' Piers Morgan today revealed the inside story on how Good Morning Britain got the interview of the year with Thomas Markle. The host, who is also MailOnline's US editor-at-large, said that Mr Markle had agreed to speak out in the middle of last week and GMB sent a team over to Mexico to see him over the weekend. Mr Morgan told This Morning (pictured) that Meghan's father was paid a fee of a ‘few thousand pounds’ to do the interview so he could ‘set the record straight’. But he could have demanded more from other broadcasters but chose ITV1's GMB as they offered the longest slot of three interviews over the two-and-a-half hour show. Piers said he doesn’t believe any member of the royal family were aware of the interview beforehand and said that his comments about Harry's political views could cause a rift with Kensington Palace. He added: 'There is nothing else he said that Harry and Meghan should be upset about'. Advertisement

He said he had apologised to Meghan and Harry on the phone, adding: 'I realised it was a serious mistake. It's hard to take it back' and said they were 'both very forgiving'.

The father-of-three said he is now 'on the mend' following his heart problems and says he hopes to travel to London to see the couple and meet his 'new royal family' including the Queen.

Mr Markle says he hopes he has not offended Meghan and Harry by appearing on GMB.

But royal experts have claimed that this could be the death knell for his relationship with them if it was without their blessing.

Kensington Palace declined to comment on Mr Markle's interview - or his claims about Harry's political beliefs.

In an extraordinary world exclusive interview Mr Markle revealed:

Father-of-three said he was upset to have missed his daughter's wedding and watched in tears from 'the couch' of a B&B after being discharged from hospital;

Said he was now a 'footnote on one of the greatest moments in history' - and he was jealous but thankful that 'handsome' Prince Charles stepped in;

He has apologised to the couple for his staged paparazzi photos calling it a 'serious mistake' that Harry and Meghan were 'very forgiving about';

Thomas says he is looking forward to coming to London to meet Harry soon, calls Queen an 'incredible woman' and would love to see her during visit;

Meghan has always wanted children - and says although she is not pregnant there will be a child soon;

He is recovering well from heart surgery but couldn't have physically walked down the aisle a month ago;

Harry told him he was 'open' to Brexit and said that Trump should be 'given a chance';

Today's TV interview marks the first time Mr Markle has opened up about his daughter, the tumultuous build up to her wedding and his future relationship with Meghan and Harry.

His absence from the wedding shocked Meghan and was so last minute his name was still in the Order of Service.

Today Mr Markle thanked 'handsome' Prince Charles for stepping in on the day and giving his daughter away, but added that he was 'jealous' as he watched from the US.

He said: 'She was beautiful. I cried a little watching her. I was very proud and I couldn't see a better moment in my life. The whole world was watching my daughter.

'The unfortunate thing now is that I'm a footnote in one of the greatest moments in history instead of a dad walking his daughter down the aisle.

'It was a very emotional moment. I regretted it because I really wanted to walk her down the aisle. But I'm thankful for how it all went'.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were at the wedding of Celia McCorquodale yesterday (left) and may be unimpressed by some of the secrets Mr Markle has discussed on national TV. Meghan is pictured right with the Queen last week

Doria Ragland was the only member of Meghan's family at the wedding (left) and sat alone in the church after her ex-husband Thomas (right) pulled out with days to go

On Prince Harry’s political beliefs…

Thomas Markle risks diplomatic row over Prince Harry's political beliefs as he reveals his son-in-law told him to 'give Donald Trump a chance' and that Brexit is an 'experiment we have to try'

Thomas Markle says Harry gave some backing to President Trump when he criticised him

Meghan Markle's father risked sparking a diplomatic row today as he revealed private details of his political conversations with Prince Harry in an extraordinary TV interview.

Thomas Markle Snr claimed his royal son-in-law had told him he was 'open to the experiment of Brexit' and that US President Donald Trump should be 'given a chance'.

The 73-year-old revealed Harry's views on Good Morning Britain, saying the pair had spoken on the phone in the months leading up to the royal wedding.

Kensington Palace this morning refused to comment on the claims, which come two years after the Queen was accused of backing Brexit in the EU referendum.

She was said to have told former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg during a lunch at Windsor Castle that she thought Europe was going in the wrong direction ahead of the key vote.

Members of the Royal Family do not vote and are expected to remain politically neutral.

However, Harry's father Prince Charles has faced criticism in the past for his political views - particularly following the release of the 'black spider' memos in 2015 showing his lobbying to government ministers.

On the staged paparazzi photos…

Meghan Markle's father calls staged paparazzi photos a 'serious mistake' as he apologises and reveals Harry and Meghan were 'very forgiving'

Thomas Markle enters an internet cafe with a photographer in CCTV evidence that exposed his deal for staged photos in the run up to the wedding

Thomas Markle Snr has given a sombre reflection on staged paparazzi photographs which were beamed around the world in the run-up to his daughter's wedding.

In May it surfaced Mr Markle had secretly collaborated with a British paparazzi photographer to stage a series of pictures which were subsequently sold to newspapers around the world.

The 73-year-old today revealed his regret at allowing the pictures - which showed him looking at images of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in an internet cafe - to be taken.

Mr Markle this morning opened up about earlier conversations he had with the pair about the media attention surrounding him.

He told GMB: 'Most part of it was “don't speak to the press”. The rest of the things were just be careful.

'But they were very emphatic about not giving any information to the press or talking to them, because it just encourages them more. So none the less, that's what I tried to do.'

Despite these conversations however, allegations later surfaced that he had staged photographs with the paparazzi.

Footage obtained by The Mail on Sunday showed the 73-year-old former lighting director arriving at an internet cafe with photographer Jeff Rayner.

‘It was presented to me as a chance to change my image because for the last year photographs of me were always derogatory,’ he told Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid.

‘They would take pictures of me with my hand on a beer, taking the bins out, buying a toilet and making a big deal of it and it all made me look negative.

‘I didn’t do it for money, I did it to change my image. For one whole year I was presented as a hermit hiding in Mexico but obviously I made a mistake and it all went wrong.

I spoke to them both and I apologised. I realised it was a serious mistake but it’s hard to take it back but again it was to improve my look, I had been seen negatively for an entire year.’

On Prince Charles…

'I'm a footnote in one of the greatest moments in history': Thomas Markle's regret at not giving Meghan away as he says he was jealous but thankful 'handsome' Prince Charles stepped in

Prince Charles took Meghan Markle to the altar in the absence of her father and symbolically had entered St George's Chapel alone

Mr Markle thanked Prince Charles for stepping in on the big day and giving his daughter away, but added that he was 'jealous' as he watched from the US.

Calling the prince 'handsome', he said he could not think of anyone better to walk his daughter down the aisle in his absence.

Mr Markle told Good Morning Britain: 'It might have been a treat for him as well because he has never had a daughter.

'I was honoured. I can’t think of a better replacement then Mr Charles. He looked very handsome. I was jealous, I wish it was me but thank God he was there.'

He said he still had not met Prince Charles or spoken to him on the phone but that he looked forward to 'thanking him' when he eventually met the royal face to face.

Mr Markle's absence from the wedding shocked Meghan and was so last minute that his name was still in the Order of Service on the day.

He said: 'She was beautiful. I cried a little watching her. I was very proud and I couldn't see a better moment in my life. The whole world was watching my daughter.

'The unfortunate thing now is that I'm a footnote in one of the greatest moments in history instead of a dad walking his daughter down the aisle.

'It was a very emotional moment. I regretted it because I really wanted to walk her down the aisle. But I'm thankful for how it all went'.

On the Queen…

Meghan's dad reveals he is looking forward to meeting Prince Harry and the Queen in London as he calls Her Majesty 'one of the most incredible women in the world'

The Queen insisted Prince Harry was not required for her first engagement with Meghan in Cheshire last week and Mr Markle says he has admired her Majesty since childhood

Mr Markle said that he was 'on the mend' following heart surgery and hoped to come to London 'soon' to finally meet his son-in-law and the rest of the royal family, including the Queen.

He told Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid that the Duke of Sussex remained the only member of the royal family that he had spoken to so far but he was hoping to be introduced to his 'other family' in the near future.

The 73-year-old said he could not give an exact time as to when he would see the couple again but claimed he was happy to wait a little bit longer so they newlyweds could spend some time alone.

'I look forward to it,' he added. 'I know they are very busy. Right now they've earnt the right to go away on a honeymoon.

'Going forward I would certainly love to meet the Queen. I've had respect for that woman since I was a child.

'I think she's one of the most incredible women in the world and I'd love to meet her.

He said that Harry and Meghan offered to come and visit him after the wedding, but he told them it was 'a bad idea as the press would eat them alive'.

Speaking about his health and travelling abroad in the future, he added: 'I'm on the mend and I'm feeling much better. Doctors are making me lose weight and take care of myself so I'll be ready to go.'

On becoming a grandfather…

'She's wanted children for a long time': Thomas Markle talks grandchildren as he says a child 'will be in the making soon' for Harry and Meghan

Mr Markle said that he expects his daughter and Harry will want to try for children soon.

He told the programme: ‘She's wanted children for a long time and when she met Harry and she spoke about how much she loves him, there's got to be a child in the making, somewhere soon.’

Mr Markle said: ‘As long as they're happy and they have a great life and have some beautiful children and do good things in the world, I can't ask for more.’

On pulling out of the royal wedding…

Meghan's father reveals she cried when he told her he couldn't make royal wedding because of a heart attack as he says both she and Harry told him to 'take care'

Mr Markle watched the moment the couple married from a sofa in a Californian B&B, he revealed today

Thomas Markle Snr choked back tears as he reflected on the royal wedding and revealed how he had planned to attend the big day until he was forced to pull out at the eleventh hour.

He broke the news to Meghan about his absence in an emotional phone call just days before she was due to walk down the aisle in Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel.

He said: ‘They were disappointed. Meghan cried, I'm sure, and they both said: “Take care of yourself, we are really worried about you”.’

He added: ‘I was very proud. I was very upset that it wasn't me (walking her down the aisle) but the whole world was watching my daughter. I was very happy about that.

‘The unfortunate thing for me now is I'm a footnote in one of the greatest moments in history rather than the dad walking her down the aisle. That upsets me somewhat.’

On Meghan’s nickname…

Meghan's father reveals he calls the Duchess of Sussex 'Bean' because she loved Jack and the Beanstalk as a child

Mr Markle said he has a wonderful relationship with his daughter (pictured with his daughter) despite the tumultuous times they have had recently - and revealed he calls her 'bean' because she loved Jack and the Beanstalk

Mr Markle revealed the inspiration behind his pet name for daughter Megan is the name of the English fairytale Jack and the Beanstalk.

The doting father said that as a child Meghan was obsessed with the story about a little boy who plants a magic bean which grows into a giant beanstalk and allows him to visit a land of giants.

During the interview, Piers asks: 'You call her Bean, why?'

Mr Markle responded: 'When she was a child she loved Jack and the Beanstalk and because she is so small I call her Bean or Beanie and then eventually it became Beanie and the Beanstalk so I call her Bean all the time.

'I don’t think I’ll call her Duchess. I don’t have to, that’s my daughter.'

He also spoke about Meghan's upbringing, and how he and his ex-wife Doria were determined to not let their break-up affect their child.

He said: 'We didn't express anger towards each other so she never felt that. Doria and I have always had a good relationship and she felt loved, there wasn’t a problem with that ever.

'Doria and I get along and we talk. I still bring her flowers every mother's day. We’ve always had a good relationship around our daughter and between the two of us. It shows in our child.'

Some viewers were not pleased by Thomas Markle's comments, describing his actions as 'odd' and 'attention seeking'

Other social media uses leaped to his defence, describing him as a'gentleman' and a 'lovely man'

Thomas Markle opens up on Meghan, Harry and the royal family On how he is feeling now: 'I'm recovering from a heart operation but I'm doing much better thank you'. On when Meghan revealed she was dating Harry: 'The first phone calls were 'Dad, I have a new boyfriend'. And I said, 'That's really nice.' And then the next call was like, 'He's British.' And I said, 'That's really nice.' And eventually the third time round was, 'He's a Prince.' At that point she said, 'It's Harry.' And I said, 'Oh Harry, okay.' And she said, 'Of course, we'll have to call him H so no-one knows we're talking about Harry. It's H.' On what Prince Harry's views were on Trump: 'Our conversations was I was complaining that I didn't like Donald Trump, he said give Donald Trump a chance. I sort of disagreed with that…That was his politics, I have my politics.' On what Prince Harry said about Brexit: 'It was just a loose conversation about something that we have to try, there was no real commitment to it…I think he was open to the experiment.' On Harry marrying his daughter: 'Meghan told me first and then a few times after that, Harry got on the phone with Meghan, they called me together, and Harry asked for her hand over the phone, and I said, 'You're a gentleman, promise me you'll never raise your hand against my daughter and of course I give you my permission'. On the paparazzi deal: 'I was looking to change my image and obviously that was a mistake that went wrong. I spoke to them both and I apologised. I realised it was a serious mistake.. But hard to take it back... They were very forgiving, it wasn't that difficult. Both Harry and Meghan were very forgiving about it' On why in the end he didn't get on the plane and make the wedding: 'I told her Meghan before I was going in for the surgery…This is what the doctors called the widow maker - it would have killed me. They [Harry and Meghan] were disappointed but they both said, Meghan cried I sure, she did cry and they both said take care of yourself we are worried about you they said the important thing was I get better'. On Prince Charles walking his daughter down the aisle: 'I was honoured. I can't think of a better replacement than someone like Prince Charles. He looked very handsome and my daughter looked beautiful with him. I was jealous I wish I'd been there I wish it had been me but thank god he was there and thank him for that. It might have been a treat for him as he never had a daughter.' On watching the wedding from a B&B: 'A friend found me a little B&B place to hide and recover for a few days. So they got me this little place and in this little apartment I watched the wedding. She was beautiful, it was incredible watching her. I cried a little bit about it. She was so beautiful walking down that aisle.. and so was very proud I couldn't see a better moment in my life .. the whole world was watching my daughter I was very happy about that. The unfortunate thing for me now is I'm a footnote in one of the greatest moments in history rather than the Dad walking her down the aisle. That upsets me somewhat. It was a very emotional moment for me, like I said I cried about it. I wanted to walk my daughter down the aisle. I wanted that moment. But I'm thankful for everything the way it went'. Advertisement

Mr Markle pulled out on the Monday before the wedding in May saying he didn't want to further embarrass his daughter after The Mail On Sunday revealed he had staged paparazzi photos for money.

Within 24 hours it seemed he had backtracked on his decision after the bride-to-be reportedly pleaded with him to come to England for the big day.

But then he said he suffered a heart attack and went to hospital, forcing him to admit he would stay in Mexico.

With Mr Markle, a former Hollywood lighting director, recovering from surgery to fit a heart stent, Kensington Palace announced that Prince Charles would walk Meghan to the altar.

Sources close to the prince said he was 'deeply touched' to have been asked.

The retired TV lighting director confessed he had cried as he watched the royal ceremony on television, describing his daughter as 'beautiful'.

Asked about her choice of husband, Mr Markle told the programme he thought Harry was 'great' and 'an interesting guy'.

He also revealed the pair had spoken about politics, and said he had held conversations with the Duke of Sussex about Donald Trump and Brexit.

He said: 'Our conversation was I was complaining about not liking Donald Trump, he said 'give Donald Trump a chance'.

'I sort of disagreed with that.'

When asked about details of the Brexit conversation, he said: 'It was just a loose conversation... I think he (the Duke of Sussex) was open to the experiment.'

Mr Markle said he hopes he has not offended his daughter and Prince Harry by appearing on GMB for the interview.

He said: 'I hope I haven't offended them, I don't think I have, they know I love them and I hope the royals - the royal family - will understand my feelings as well.'

He also told the programme about how he 'mixed up' a set of white dolls and black dolls when Meghan was a child because 'that was normal to me and that's the way I wanted my daughter to feel.'

Mr Markle said that he opted to take part in the interview because he wanted people to know he is a 'normal guy' and because he wants to have a good relationship with Meghan and Harry.

He said: 'Over the last few weeks, everybody has had different opinions, some people said I was faking my heart attack, some people said I was skipping out, all kinds of stories were coming out about me, negative ones.

'But I just want people to know I'm a normal guy, I'm a retired man and I was living a quiet little life and this happened, and lots of things happened around it, and I've tried to survive through that, but more than anything I don't want my daughter or new son-in-law to be hurt by any of this.

'I want to have a nice, normal relationship with my royal family as well now.'