`Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding,´ says Meghan Markle
(The Star Religion)

LONDON—Well, now we`ve gone and done it. The whole sad and depressing tabloid sideshow — will Meghan Markle`s father walk his daughter down the aisle? — has been answered.In a statement from Kensington Palace on Thursday morning, the royal bride-to-be announced, `Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding.`Read more:Opinion | Give Meghan Markle’s embarrassing family a break Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle follow royal wedding traditions?Opinion | Why we should boycott the royal weddingThis ends the distressing cliffhanger — powered by the TMZ celebrity news website, which dribbled out the scoops — over whether Thomas Markle`s heart health and his ability to withstand the pressure of a royal wedding would allow the 73-year-old to travel from his retirement in Mexico to St. George`s Chapel at Windsor Castle for his daughter`s wedding to Prince Harry.Meghan Markle on Thursday said, `I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.`She added, `I would like to thank everyone who has offered generous messages of support. Please know how much Harry and I look forward to sharing our special day with you on Saturday.`Thomas Markle`s health have been the subject of confused and contradictory reports in recent days.In the last week, TMZ reported that Markle had suffered a heart attack; checked himself out of the hospital; was recovering; was experiencing chest pains; was `popping Valium` to calm down; was heading back to the hospital; and then on Wednesday had surgery to remove blockage and have three stents installed.TMZ said Markle senior was now `alert and coherent.`It quoted him saying: `I`m OK. It will take a long time to heal. Staying in the hospital a few more days. Not allowed to get excited.`Markle`s stress was certainly compounded by the upcoming wedding. The British press reported that paparazzi had moved in next door to his home in Mexico. He complained of being ...