One day after saying he would no longer attend his daughter's wedding amid a brewing paparazzi scandal, Thomas Markle, Meghan Markle's dad, has had a change of heart and now wants to attend the nuptials and walk the bride down the aisle, according to a new report.
But, that may not be so simple. Thomas, 73, has been in the hospital after experiencing chest pains, and doctors haven't let him out of the hospital yet — there's a real chance they won't release him in time for the vows.
As of 24 hours earlier, none of this mattered, after Thomas decided not to attend the wedding.
Then, though, something changed. Thomas told TMZ on May 15, "I hate the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle." He added, "Of course I'd walk her down the aisle. This is a historic moment. I'd like to be a part of history."
Meghan and Prince Harry are set to tie the knot on May 19 at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
The days leading up to the wedding have already been filled with fireworks.
In recent weeks, Thomas has been snapped by a paparazzi photographer prepping for the wedding in various ways. He was pictured doing everything from being measured for a suit by a purported tailor to lifting weights while walking outdoors to reading a story about his daughter and Harry on a computer at an internet cafe. It turns out that those were staged and set up for financial gain — Thomas, it seems, was selling the photos of himself to the paparazzi agency.
The MailOnline reported that Thomas stood to make more than $100,000 from the pictures, although he told TMZ the number was far south of that.
Thomas' daughter Samantha Grant, who has never had a relationship with Meghan as an adult, said the scandal was her fault. In fact, she claimed she convinced him to do the photos and said the whole scandal wasn't totally about money, but rather about improving Thomas' reputation in the media. Thomas, too, told TMZ on May 14 he thought the photos would help "recast" his image in the public eye, but he now admits the pictures look "stupid and hammy."
However, Thomas says Meghan isn't even angry with him about the paparazzi scandal. He told the website that she tried calling him on Monday but he wasn't near his phone. He claims she then texted to tell him she loved him, and she mentioned that she was concerned about his health.
Thomas also now thinks that his agreement with the paparazzi agency wasn't a violation of trust, but rather a "stupid" mistake.
There are reports that the Queen is "livid" with him over the paparazzi scandal. Thomas said, "I don't think the queen is thinking about what I'm doing."