Meghan Markle’s father will not attend her wedding to Prince Harry on May 19, as it is reported he is due to have heart surgery.
Thomas Markle had told TMZ he would not go amid a row over paparazzi photographs; then that he would; then that he could not, due to a planned heart procedure.
Kensington Palace declined to comment.
Meghan Markle’s estranged half-sister, Samantha, said he had faced an “unbelievable stress”.
Speaking to Australia’s Sunrise morning TV program from Orlando, Florida, Samantha Markle said she was not sure if Thomas Markle would be travelling to Windsor.
She said: “He sent me a message that he was undergoing heart surgery.
Thomas Markle became embroiled in controversy at the weekend, following reports that he staged paparazzi photographs of himself in the run-up to the wedding.
The pictures showed Thomas Markle – apparently unaware he was being photographed – in a series of wedding-related activities, including being measured for a wedding suit.
Samantha Markle, who has not spoken to her famous sibling in three years – and will not be attending the wedding – told Good Morning Britain the photographs had been done with “good intention” and not for money.
She previously admitted the pictures had been her idea, in order to portray a positive image.
On May 14, Thomas Markle reportedly told TMZ that he would not attend the wedding.
TMZ later reported that Meghan Markle’s father had and wanted to attend – although he might not be able to because of health concerns.
In a third report, TMZ said that the health issues and planned surgery would prevent him from attending after all.
Thomas Markle had been due to meet Prince Harry for the first time this week, as well as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, before walking his daughter down the aisle at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
Prince Harry’s future wife, Meghan Markle, will not be known as Princess Meghan when she ties the knot with him in May 2018.
By the standards of British royal protocol, the American actress lacks “royal blood”.
That means that she cannot call herself Princess Meghan.
The arcane rules mean that Meghan Markle will be compelled to follow the example of her future sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.
When Kate Middleton married Prince William in 2011, she automatically became Her Royal Highness, Princess William of Wales. The overwhelming likelihood is that Meghan Markle will in turn become HRH Princess Harry of Wales.
Kate Middleton was not of royal blood, and what applies to her will also apply in the case of Meghan Markle.
Royal blood meant that Queen Elizabeth’s late sister Margaret was entitled to call herself Princess Margaret. Likewise the Queen’s daughter is Princess Anne and her granddaughters are Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Royal blood made them princesses in their own right.
Sarah Ferguson was never Princess Sarah and Sophie Rhys-Jones – the wife of Prince Edward – is not Princess Sophie.
The rules also meant that Lady Diana Spencer was never officially Princess Diana. She was the Princess of Wales and, after her divorce from Prince Charles, she was Diana, Princess of Wales.
From the point of view of Buckingham Palace, handy titles or “handles” are required for the members of the family who occupy prestigious but somewhat peripheral roles to the main business of monarchy.
Queen Elizabeth’s first cousins are, respectively, the Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, and when her disgraced uncle abandoned the throne to marry an American divorcee in 1936, he became the Duke of Windsor.
Such ducal titles are frequently bestowed upon marriage precisely because they give the new entrant to the family a grand-sounding title without making them princesses or princes in their own right.
In 1986, when Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson, the Queen made him Duke of York, thus she became the Duchess of York – a title she continues to hold despite her divorce.
Similarly, when Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones, he became the Earl of Wessex and his new wife the Countess of Wessex.
It could be that the Queen makes the same kind of move in the cases of Kate and Meghan, and dusts off a long-defunct royal dukedom – Sussex (the favorite for Harry and Meghan), Albany and Clarence are among the vacant ones.
However, as with many things connected to British royal protocol, there is always an exception to the rule – Queen Elizabeth’s husband Philip married into the royal family, and yet he is a prince.
When Philip married the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947, the then British King, George VI, created him “Duke of Edinburgh”.
He only became Prince Philip in February 1957 when the Queen “accorded him the style and title of a Prince of the United Kingdom”.
The Queen could also make both Kate and Meghan princesses in their own right – but such are the rigid traditions surrounding this issue that Britain’s first Princess Meghan is likely to be some time away.
Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle will marry at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in May 2018, Kensington Palace has announced.
The Royal Family will pay for the wedding, including the service, music, flowers and reception – the date will be announced later.
Meghan Markle, 36, a Protestant, will be baptized into the Church of England and confirmed before the wedding.
A spokesman for Prince Harry said the pair would make sure the wedding “reflects who they are as a couple”.
Jason Knauf said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were “leading the planning process for all aspects of the wedding” and were working through ideas on how members of the public could “feel part of the celebrations”.
“This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters of the bride and groom,” he added.
Jason Knauf described Windsor as a “very special place” for the couple, saying they had spent time there together since meeting in July 2016.
He also revealed that Meghan Markle intends to become a British citizen and will work towards it in the coming years.
St George’s Chapel was the venue for a service of prayer and dedication after Prince Harry’s father, Prince Charles, married the Duchess of Cornwall at the Windsor Guildhall in 2005.
It was also chosen for the wedding of Prince Harry’s cousin, Peter Phillips, and Autumn Kelly in 2008, and the Earl and Countess of Wessex in 1999.
Prince Harry, 33, who is fifth in line to the UK’s throne, and Meghan Markle announced their engagement on November 27.
Jason Knauf said it was “an incredibly happy day” for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and they were “overwhelmed by support from the UK and around the world”.
Prince Carl Philip of Sweden has married former reality star Sofia Hellqvist in a lavish ceremony in the chapel at Stockholm’s Royal Palace.
Sofia Hellqvist, 30, worked as a model and a yoga instructor before helping to set up a charity.
Prince Carl Philip, 36, is third in line to the Swedish throne.
Thousands of well-wishers lined the streets for the event, despite polls suggesting the Swedish royal family’s popularity is waning.
They cheered as commoner Sofia Hellqvist became a princess.
Photo Getty Images
After their marriage, Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist took to a horse-drawn carriage to parade through the cobbled streets of Stockholm’s old town, waving to crowds in the hot summer sun, before returning to the palace for a 21-gun salute and wedding banquet.
About 550 guests attended the ceremony, many of them royals, including Princess Takamado of Japan and Britain’s Prince Edward.
Prince Carl Philip was initially reported to have had difficulties putting the ring on the bride’s finger while the royal couple said their vows.
A band played a version of the Coldplay song Fix You in the royal chapel, and the newly weds were then serenaded by a man singing a Swedish version of the song Umbrella by Rihanna.
Sofia Hellqvist and Prince Carl Philip reportedly first met at a restaurant in 2010, with news of their relationship being revealed soon after.
Prince Carl Philip is third in line to the Swedish throne behind his elder sister Crown Princess Victoria and her 3-year-old daughter, Princess Estelle.
Prince Carl Philip of Sweden is to marry former reality star Sofia Hellqvist in a lavish ceremony in Stockholm.
Sofia Hellqvist, 30, also worked as a model and a yoga instructor before helping to set up a charity.
Prince Carl Philip, 36, is third in line to the Swedish throne.
Thousands of well-wishers are expected to line the streets for the event, despite polls suggesting the Swedish royal family’s popularity is waning.
Sofia Hellqvist and Prince Carl Philip reportedly first met at a restaurant in 2010, with news of their relationship being revealed soon after.
The Swedish media made much of Sofia Hellqvist’s past, which included posing for a men’s magazine in 2004.
In 2005, she appeared on the Swedish reality TV show Paradise Hotel, in which singletons compete to stay in a luxury resort.
In response to the media interest, Sofia Hellqvist told Swedish television that she had long since moved on.
She said: “I don’t regret anything. All these experiences have made me the person I am.
“I wouldn’t have made those choices today.”
Amid rumors that her past had caused disquiet among the royal family, the palace has emphasized her charity work.
In 2010, Sofia Hellqvist co-founded the Project Playground charity which helps disadvantaged children in South Africa. She has also worked as a volunteer in several African countries.
Sofia Hellqvist, who is from the central Swedish town of Alvdalen, also studied accounting in New York in 2005 and worked there as a yoga teacher and a waitress.
On Friday evening, more than 200 wedding guests attended a dinner in honor of the couple on the island of Skeppsholmen.
The wedding will take place at the Royal Chapel, or Slottskyrkan, in Stockholm on June 13.
Prince Carl Philip is third in line to the throne behind his elder sister Crown Princess Victoria and her three-year-old daughter, Princess Estelle.
Karen Houghton, Kim Kardashian’s aunt, has revealed that the reality star is set to rip off Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal wedding with her multi European city bash.
She revealed that Kim Kardashian even attempts to out-dress the Duchess of Cambridge.
Karen Houghton said: “Kim loved the British royal wedding and is a huge fan of Kate Middleton. She was just so caught up in that day and very impressed by it, and how it played out on TV around the world.”
She added that Kim Kardashian could be sporting a crown.
Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and their 150-strong wedding party jet out to Italy today for the ceremony at the 16th-century Forte di Belvedere in Florence (photo Splash News)
“She really loves Kate and the princess has been a huge inspiration as far as her wedding plans are concerned.
“Kim saw how visually stunning the royal wedding looked and wants to replicate that. Kim and Kanye want something just as traditional and classy.”
“Kim saw how the fashion world has reacted to Kate and wants to be just like her. She could wear a crown or tiara made from real diamonds.
“Kim wore a crown with her wedding to Kris Humphries and I believe she’s thinking of doing it again.”
Karen Houghton will not attend the wedding after a fallout with Kim Kardashian’s mother – her elder sister, Kris Jenner. She said: “I wish I could be there, but I don’t think it’s fair to go when there’s a cloud of unrest hanging over Kris and I.
“This is Kim’s big day and she doesn’t need any distractions in that sense.”
Meanwhile, over in Paris, where the Kardashian clan has gathered, 33-year-old Kim had a pretty sedate hen party on Thursday night.
With 20 friends and her sisters, it was hosted in Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s favorite hangout, Hotel Costes. Afterwards the ladies took a tour of Paris by night, stopping to pose for pictures and selfies by the Eiffel Tower and the famous pyramid at the Louvre.
Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and their 150-strong wedding party jet out to Italy today for the ceremony at the 16th-century Forte di Belvedere in Florence.
Princess Madeleine of Sweden turned fairytale bride today as she married her British-American banker beau Christopher O’Neill watched by European royals and the cream of New York society.
“Party princess”, 30, the youngest of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia’s three children, married British-born financier Chris O’Neill, 38, in Stockholm’s Royal Palace today wearing a breathtaking Valentino wedding gown.
The Earl and Countess of Wessex and Princess Charlene of Monaco were among those looking on as the groom placed a tender kiss on Princess Madeleine’s hand during today’s ceremony.
Blue-blooded Europe mingled with Manhattan’s elite and a sprinkling of pop aristocracy as the couple exchanged vows in the lavish ceremony.
Chris O’Neill, 38, appeared to be fighting back tears as the princess walked down the aisle with her father at the Royal Palace in the capital.
Among the high-profile guests in the chapel were Duran Duran’s John Taylor, Prince Nikolaos of Greece, Karl-Johan Persson – CEO of fashion company Hennes & Mauritz (H&M), and Roxette stars Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson.
Princess Madeleine and Chris O’Neill met after she fled to the U.S. in 2010 with a broken heart.
She crossed the Atlantic following the breakdown of her first engagement to Swedish attorney Jonas Bergstrom amid speculation that he had cheated on her.
But the radiant princess – and fourth in line to the Swedish throne – got her happy ending in the Royal Palace today, watched by a glittering congregation.
Princess Madeleine’s showstopping wedding gown – made from silk organdies with applications of ivory Chantilly lace – was created by master couturier Valentino.
Small vertical pleats at the waist opened into a full skirt with a flowing, four-metre train.
Princess Madeleine of Sweden turned fairytale bride as she married American banker Christopher O’Neill watched by European royals and the cream of New York society
Her six-metre long cathedral veil was also made from silk organdies, edged with tulle and embellished with Chantilly lace flowers.
Princess Madeleine wore her hair swept back from her face in a simple yet elegant style.
The low bun was held in place by her royal tiara, which was decorated with a delicate garland of fresh orange blossoms.
Guests enjoyed hymns in Swedish and English during the wedding, along with performances from Roxette singer Marie Fredriksson and Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera star Peter Joback.
Smiling Princess Madeleine read her wedding vows in Swedish, while Chris O’Neil delivered his in English.
The financier is a partner and head of research at Noster Capital, a hedge fund with offices in London and New York.
The couple announced their engagement in October 2012.
Their wedding celebrations began last night with a private dinner at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm hosted by the king and queen.
Following today’s ceremony a reception will be held at Stockholm’s Drottningholm Palace, the royal family’s private residence.
Princess Madeleine, who is also known as the Duchess of Halsingland and Gastrikland, lives in New York where she works for the World Childhood Foundation, a non-profit group founded by her mother.
Chris O’Neill will not hold a title after the wedding as he has elected to remain a private citizen and not be granted royal rank.
Princess Madeleine became known as Sweden’s party princess during her early 20s, when she was frequently spotted at Stockholm’s high-end nightclubs.
Countless column inches were also devoted to Princess Madeleine’s stylish wardrobe and glamorous lifestyle.
Luxembourg is celebrating the marriage of its Crown Prince Guillaume to Belgian Countess Stephanie de Lannoy – the biggest royal event in decades in the tiny Grand Duchy.
Europe’s royalty as well as ordinary citizens attended a service at Notre Dame Cathedral, a day after the couple tied the knot in a civil ceremony.
The festivities will culminate in a pop concert later in the day.
Crown Prince Guillaume, 30, is first in line to Luxembourg’s throne.
Limited-edition champagne, chocolates and china have filled the shop windows around the city of Luxembourg, with postcards and pins showing the smiling engagement photo of the couple.
Luxembourgers have a reputation for being calm and reserved, but there is a strong undercurrent of excitement sweeping through the cobbled streets of the city.
More than 120 international media organizations have requested accreditation for the event, including TV channels and newspapers from China, Morocco, Russia and the US.
Crown Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg and Countess Stephanie de Lannoy royal wedding
Luxembourg City Tourist Office is organizing a three-day wedding-themed tour for royalty fans.
The official guest list for the ceremony includes the king and queen of Norway, the crown prince of Japan, and Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath of Jordan. Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex are representing the UK.
Countess Stephanie de Lannoy, 28, is an uncomplicated choice of bride for Prince Guillaume. They have known each other for years, started dating in 2009 after being reunited at a party and got engaged in 2011.
Stephanie de Lannoy is a member of Belgian nobility and is fluent in French, German and Russian after studying languages at the Catholic University in Louvain, Belgium. In interviews with the Luxembourg press, she has spoken of their mutual love of cooking and her delight at marrying her “very own Prince Charming”.
The only controversy in the run-up to the ceremony has been the decision to grant her Luxembourg citizenship, avoiding a usually long and complex legal process.
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