Weddings are stressful enough, without A) the whole thing being broadcast on national (and international) TV, and B) your father pulling out of attending two days before. But for Meghan Markle, that was reality when she married Prince Harry in May this year.
Just a few days before the May 19 ceremony, speculation began that Thomas Markle had dropped out of the royal wedding - where he was supposed to play an important role, walking his daughter down the aisle - due to apparent heart issues. The rumours were true, and on May 18, Kensington Palace revealed that Prince Charles, Meghan's father-in-law-to-be, would step in at the last minute.
The move was a sweet one from the Prince of Wales, but now new insight from a BBC documentary celebrating the heir to the throne's upcoming 70th birthday reveals exactly how Charles responded to being asked.
Speaking in Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70, which airs on BBC One at 9pm tonight (8 November), Prince Harry recalled: "I asked him to and I think he knew it was coming, and he immediately said 'yes, of course, I'll do whatever Megan needs and I'm here to support you'.
"For him that's a fantastic opportunity to step up and be that support, and you know he's our father so of course he's gonna be there for us."
The way in which Charles responded to the request to accompany Meghan up part of the aisle is not surprising, given the strong bond between the father and daughter-in-law that has been widely reported.
