Meghan will want to have children with Harry soon, says Thomas Markle

The Duchess of Sussex’s father has said he expects his daughter will want to have children soon, and that she cried when he revealed he would not be attending her wedding.

Thomas Markle said he broke the news to Meghan about his absence in an emotional phone call just days before she was due to walk down the aisle in Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel.

The 73-year-old watched the wedding from California, where he was recovering from heart surgery.

In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Mr Markle said: “They were disappointed.

“Meghan cried, I’m sure, and they both said ‘Take care of yourself, we are really worried about you’.”

He added: “I absolutely wanted to walk my daughter down the aisle.”

Adding that he was recovering well from his surgery, which saw him have three stents fitted, Mr Markle said he was “honoured” that the Prince of Wales took on the job of walking Meghan down the aisle instead.

“I can’t think of a better replacement than someone like Prince Charles,” he told the programme.

Mr Markle’s operation came shortly after allegations surfaced that he had staged photographs with the paparazzi.

He told GMB he had apologised to both the Duke of Sussex and Meghan, adding: “I realised it was a serious mistake. It’s hard to take it back.”

The retired TV lighting director confessed he had cried as he watched the royal ceremony on television, describing his daughter as “beautiful”, and that it was “incredible watching her”.

He said: “I was very proud. I was very upset that it wasn’t me (walking her down the aisle) but the whole world was watching my daughter. I was very happy about that.

“The unfortunate thing for me now is I’m a footnote in one of the greatest moments in history rather than the dad walking her down the aisle. That upsets me somewhat.”

Asked about her choice of husband, Mr Markle told the programme he thought Harry was “great” and “an interesting guy”.

He said that he expects his daughter and Harry will want to try for children soon.

He told the programme: “She’s wanted children for a long time and when she met Harry and she spoke about how much she loves him, there’s got to be a child in the making, somewhere soon.”

Mr Markle said: “As long as they’re happy and they have a great life and have some beautiful children and do good things in the world, I can’t ask for more.”

He also revealed he spoke to Harry about politics, and had held conversations with the duke about Donald Trump and Brexit.

He said: “Our conversation was I was complaining about not liking Donald Trump, he said ‘give Donald Trump a chance’.

“I sort of disagreed with that.”

When asked about details of the Brexit conversation, he said: “It was just a loose conversation… I think he (the Duke of Sussex) was open to the experiment.”

He recounted the moment Harry had asked for Meghan’s hand in marriage, saying: “Harry asked for her hand on the phone and I said: ‘You are a gentleman, promise me you will never raise your hand against my daughter and of course I will grant you my permission’.”

Seemingly unfazed by his daughter marrying into the royal family, Mr Markle said she had “been a princess since the day she was born”, adding: “He made a good pick, didn’t he?”

He said that he looks forward to meeting the Queen for the first time, adding: “I’ve had respect for that woman since I was a child. I think she’s one of the most incredible women in the world and I’d love to meet her.”

Mr Markle said he hopes he has not offended his daughter and her new husband for taking part in the interview.

He said: “I hope I haven’t offended them, I don’t think I have, they know I love them and I hope the royals – the royal family – will understand my feelings as well.”

He said he wanted to do the interview to show that he is a “normal guy”, and that he does not want his daughter or son-in-law “to be hurt” by any of the media attention around him.

He added: “I want to have a nice, normal relationship with my royal family as well now.”