Prince Harry is opening up about the poignant moment he asked his dad to walk Meghan Markle down the aisle at their royal wedding in May.
Harry, 34, approached Prince Charles, who celebrates his 70th birthday next week, to step in after Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, was unable to come to the Windsor Castle nuptials.
In the documentary, Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70, which airs on BBC One on Thursday, Harry says: “I asked him to and I think he knew it was coming and he immediately said, ‘Yes, of course, I’ll do whatever Megan needs and I’m here to support you.’ “
“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 gonna be there for us.”
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As Charles led Meghan to Harry’s side during the historic ceremony at St. George’s Chapel, the prince turned to his dad and said, “Thank you, Pa.”
Charles’ wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, couldn’t see what was said between son and his father at the altar, but says she watched it later on TV.
“I think that was very touching, sitting where I was, you couldn’t hear what he said. But afterwards watching it on the television, I… I think it was a very… it was a lovely gesture,” she says.
Of the emotional moment, Harry adds: “You’ve gotta say thank you. Just because he’s my father that doesn’t mean I can just sort of go, ‘Okay, that’s all, I’ll take it from here.’ ”
Then he quips, “Err, no, that is what I wanted to say but erm…and I was very grateful for him to be able to do that.”
As for the moment when Charles took Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland, by the arm to head into a private room to sign the marriage register, Camilla says: “A lot of people, seeing my husband actually take the bride’s mother by the hand to sign the registry, it’s something that moved everybody.
“It’s the things he does behind the scenes that people don’t know about. I don’t think people realize quite how kind he is.”
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