Meghan Markle’s Dad Said He’s “Incredibly Grateful” to King Charles for Walking Meghan Down the Aisle at Her Wedding

When news broke that Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle, wouldn't be able to attend his daughter's royal wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, Meghan's future father-in-law stepped in to walk her down the aisle.

In a new interview with the Daily Mail, Thomas Markle, who says he watched the royal wedding on television from a rented Airbnb where he was staying in recovery after being hospitalized shortly before the big day (he says his doctors forbid him from traveling), said he is still "incredibly grateful" to King Charles for stepping into walk Meghan down the aisle when he couldn't be there himself.

"I'm a grandfather and he is King of England—but he too is a grandfather who would like to see his grandkids," Markle said of Charles.

Even at the time, there was some controversy around Markle missing the royal wedding, with some sources allegedly questioning the validity of his claim that a heart attack forced him to miss the wedding in the first place. For his part, Markle reiterated his health claims the Daily Mail, saying he suffered two heart attacks on the eve of the wedding, and that his health issues kept him from being present for the ceremony at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle himself.

In the new interview, which Markle gave as he was packing to leave his home in Rosarito, Mexico ahead of plans to move abroad (likely, he told the outlet, to somewhere in South East Asia), the former lighting director struck a mostly positive tone when talking about Meghan and Harry—something that, unfortunately, hasn't always been the case during his years-long estrangement from the couple.

"I'm not running away. I am going in search of a more positive life. Every day I see something about Meghan. This week it has been the new TV show," he said, referring to Meghan's new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. "I wish her no ill-will. My dream is that one day I could bring my whole family together, like a 'normal' family."