Markle confirms father will not attend

Meghan Markle finally confirmed yesterday that her father would not attend her wedding to Prince Harry, putting an end to days of speculation that had overshadowed the build-up to the glittering ceremony.

Harry, Queen Elizabeth's grandson, and US actress Markle, a star of the TV drama "Suits", will tie the knot tomorrow at the 15th-century St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, home to the British royal family for nearly 1,000 years.

Markle's father, Thomas, had been due to walk his daughter down the aisle in front of a congregation of senior royals, celebrities, friends of the couple and a TV audience of hundreds of millions.

"Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding. I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health," Meghan Markle, 36, said in a statement. He suffered heart surgery on Wednesday.

Meghan and Harry were driven to Windsor Castle yesterday.

They will stay in separate hotels on the eve of the wedding.

Markle's mother Doria Ragland, a yoga instructor and social worker, has arrived in Britain and is due to meet the 92-year-old queen and her husband Prince Philip, 96, on Thursday.

Royal commentators have speculated she will now walk her daughter down the aisle instead.