Who Walked Meghan Markle Down the Aisle at the Royal Wedding?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 19 May 18

Meghan Markle married Prince Harry at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, and walked down the aisle wearing a gorgeous Givenchy gown that showed off her shoulders accompanied at the quire by her new father-in-law, Prince Charles.

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Prince Charles chose to wear a dapper suit, and was visibly emotional while walking his new daughter-in-law towards Harry.

To compare, here is the moment Kate Middleton walked down the aisle with her father:

Royal watchers have been speculating who would walk Meghan down the aisle for weeks now. Originally, Meghan's father, Thomas Markle, was supposed to do the honor. However, following revelations that he staged paparazzi photos of himself preparing for his daughter's wedding, he told TMZ he decided not to attend the wedding "because he doesn't want to embarrass the royal family or his daughter."

Thomas also revealed that he had a heart attack six days prior, and would have to go into surgery. He then changed his mind about not attending the wedding, but didn't know if he could fly to the U.K. in time. On Thursday, Meghan confirmed her father would not be attending the wedding. On Friday, Kensington Palace revealed Prince Charles would do the honor:

"Ms. Meghan Markle has asked His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to accompany her down the aisle of the Quire of St. George's Chapel on her Wedding Day. The Prince of Wales is pleased to be able to welcome Ms. Markle to The Royal Family in this way."

Despite Thomas' unfortunate health conditions, Meghan still looked joyful having Prince Charles walk her down the aisle in his place, though as a modern woman, she walked herself down the first part of the aisle.

Follow along here as we report on the royal wedding in real-time—from the dress to the tiara to Harry and Meghan's most adorable moments.

Rachel Epstein is an editor at Marie Claire, where she writes and edits culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also manages the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game, finding a new coffee shop, or analyzing your cousin's birth chart—in no particular order.