People who spent the night outside Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, organise their belongings after waking up, early Thursday, May 17, 2018. Preparations continue in Windsor ahead of the royal wedding of Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Saturday May 19. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
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WINDSOR, England (AP) - Meghan Markle announced Thursday her father will not be at her marriage to Prince Harry due to health problems.
"Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding," she said in a statement released by Kensington Palace. "I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health."
The palace has not revealed details about 73-year-old Thomas Markle's health issues, but the celebrity website TMZ says he is hospitalized in California after undergoing a procedure to clear blocked coronary arteries.
He reportedly told the website he was ok but needed to rest. Thomas Markle had been scheduled to walk his daughter down the aisle when she weds her prince Saturday at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
It is possible Doria Ragland, Meghan Markle's mother, will fill that role instead. No replacement has been officially named.
Meghan Markle's statement came as military personnel rehearsed a procession on the streets of Windsor.
Planners used Thursday's practice session to finalize some of the details of Saturday's gala wedding at St. George's Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
The wedding day festivities will include a 25-minute carriage ride outside the castle grounds by the newlyweds after the ceremony is concluded. More than 2,600 members of the public have been invited onto the castle grounds to watch the procession.
A large military contingent will also take part, reflecting Harry's years of military service.
Markle's mother has arrived in England and is expected to meet Queen Elizabeth II - Harry's grandmother - and other senior royals in the two days left before the wedding.
Ragland - who arrived carrying a Burberry suit bag, a possible clue to her wedding outfit - will visit with Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Prince William and his wife Kate, and other members of the family her daughter will officially join Saturday.
The drama surrounding Mr. Markle, and harsh comments about Meghan Markle made by estranged members of her extended family who were not invited to the wedding, have increasingly dominated tabloid coverage of the royal wedding in recent days.
Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine on Thursday castigated Harry's Kensington Palace press operation for not doing more to prevent Markle's relatives from sniping at her during the run-up to the big event.
"Even the most cursory internet search would have thrown up a few red flags," she said. "Could they not have taken at least a few steps to get them on-side?"
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Martin Benedyk contributed from Windsor.
FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 25, 2017 file photo, Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle arrive to attend the traditional Christmas Day service, at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England. Royal wedding organizers on Thursday May 17, 2018, are preparing for a rehearsal of the proceedings to take place in Windsor - but without the bridge and groom. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
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A badge showing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is pinned onto a US flag in Windsor, England, Thursday, May 17, 2018. Preparations are being made in the town ahead of the wedding of Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that will take place in Windsor on Saturday May 19. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
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FILE - In this Friday, April 6, 2018 file photo, Britain's Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle attend the UK team trials for the Invictus Games Sydney 2018 at the University of Bath in Bath, England. Royal wedding organizers on Thursday May 17, 2018, are preparing for a rehearsal of the proceedings to take place in Windsor - but without the bridge and groom. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)
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A dog wears a union flag coat as he waits alongside Windsor Castle in Windsor, England Thursday, May 17, 2018. Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will marry in Windsor on Saturday May 19. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
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This image shows a copy of a statement released by Kensington Palace from Meghan Markle dated Thursday May 17, 2018, confirming her father Thomas Markle will not attend the wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Saturday May 19. (Kensington Palace via AP)
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A well wisher holds a sign as she waits alongside Windsor Castle in Windsor, England Thursday, May 17, 2018. Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will marry in Windsor on Saturday May 19. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
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Windsor Castle is reflected in a shop window selling souvenirs for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, in Windsor, England, early Thursday, May 17, 2018. Preparations continue in Windsor ahead of the royal wedding of Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Saturday May 19. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
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Camilla the King Charles spaniel wears flags and decorations as she sits alongside Windsor Castle in Windsor, England Thursday, May 17, 2018. Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will marry in Windsor on Saturday May 19. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
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