In a sweet tribute to Prince Charles who is turning 70 in just six days time, his younger son Prince Harry has revealed in a documentary to celebrate the birthday of the heir to the throne of his pride and gratitude that the man he affectionately refers to as ‘Pa’ walked Meghan Markle down the aisle on their wedding day back in May.
WATCH: Meghan Markle being escorted by Prince Charles on her wedding day.
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Prince Charles stepped in at the eleventh hour. (Image: Getty Images)
The Prince’s bride was under great stress after her American father Thomas Markle pulled out of the traditional role of giving a daughter away by accompanying her down the aisle of a church to meet her groom, after his deal with the paparazzi became a public scandal.
Breaking every royal rule, the now Duchess Meghan’s father sold shots and video footage of him at an Internet cafe and a gym which he was supposedly unaware were being taken but were later revealed to be staged by the former TV lighting director for money.
Markle later claimed heart surgery had prevented him from being beside his little girl as she stepped on to the world stage at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
READ MORE: Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have to follow this royal baby name rule
Stepping in to provide a comforting arm as the former Suits actress stepped away from her Hollywood lifestyle and into the gilded world of the Royal Family, was Prince Charles, heir to the throne and no stranger to controversy himself.
Now, in a candid BBC documentary, Prince Harry describes exactly what happened in the run up to the biggest day of the young couple’s life.
“Yes, of course, I’ll do whatever Meghan needs,” Prince Harry reports his father saying. (Image: Getty Images)
“I asked him to and I think he knew it was coming and he immediately said ‘Yes, of course, I’ll do whatever Meghan needs, and I’m here to support you’,” the Prince explains.
“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 going to be there for us. I was very grateful for him to be able to do that.”
It was confirmed that Prince Charles would be walking Meghan down the aisle by Kensington Palace the night before the wedding.
The next day, millions of viewers across the world were left deeply moved as they watched Prince Charles whispering to his son’s bride as they prepared to walk down the aisle, “Are you all right? You look lovely.”
Meghan’s father Thomas Markle dropped out of giving her away, citing heart problems. (Image: Getty Images)
Hearts melted further when Prince Harry turned to his father and said, ‘Thank you, Pa’, as Prince Charles arrived at the altar with Meghan on his arm.
The Prince’s gratitude to his father is clear. (Image: Getty Images)
Prince Charles’s wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, says: ‘That was very touching. But afterwards watching it on the television, I think it was a lovely gesture.’
But giving away his soon-to-be daughter-in-law would have been a no brainer for charming Prince Charles, who appears to have shared a close bond with Meghan from day dot.
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It all started back in November 2016 when Meghan and Harry’s secret relationship became public knowledge. That very month, Meghan reportedly met Harry’s family, which is where she and Charles first crossed paths.
A source told Woman’s Day that Meghan’s first priority was winning over her future father-in-law. And according to the source, she had no trouble in doing so: “Harry was very touched by how welcoming Charles was to Meghan who, though confident, must have found adapting to royal life hugely intimidating. Charles played a huge part in making her feel at home,” they explained.
Prince Charles has a reportedly strong relationship with his new daughter-in-law. (Image: Getty Images)
According to the Mail On Sunday, Charles calls Meghan “Tungsten” after the rare metal because she’s “tough and unbending just like the very strong metal.”
The insider explained: “Prince Charles admires Meghan for her strength and the backbone she gives Harry, who needs a tungsten-type figure in his life as he can be a bit of a softy. It’s become a term of endearment,” an insider explained to the publication.
