The Latest on Britain害羞草研究所檚 royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Saturday:
Meghan Markle害羞草研究所檚 father may have changed his mind and hopes to attend the royal wedding after all.
The website TMZ quotes Thomas Markle as saying he now wants to come to the wedding Saturday in Windsor, if doctors allow it.
The retired television cinematographer had been due to walk his daughter down the aisle at Windsor Castle害羞草研究所檚 St. George害羞草研究所檚 Chapel on Saturday.
On Monday, TMZ reported that the elder Markle has decided to stay away amid criticism over his decision to pose for mocked up wedding-preparation shots taken by a paparazzi agency.
Thomas Markle also said he suffered a heart attack last week.
On Tuesday TMZ quoted him as saying 害羞草研究所淚 hate the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle.害羞草研究所� But he also reportedly said doctors are still performing tests and he is not sure whether he will be released from the hospital in time for Saturday害羞草研究所檚 wedding.
Samantha Markle told Good Morning Britain on Tuesday that Thomas Markle panicked while driving on the highway because he was being followed by numerous press cars.
Thomas Markle is not the first person to be bruised in the collision between Britain害羞草研究所檚 royal family and the media 害羞草研究所� a relationship that is deep, complex and sometimes toxic.
害羞草研究所淚t is a symbiotic and parasitic relationship which is harmful to both sides,害羞草研究所� said Graham Smith of anti-monarchy group Republic, who is resolutely unaffected by royal wedding fever. 害羞草研究所淐ertainly harmful to the British public in terms of the way in which we are fed this hype and nonsense 害羞草研究所� and clearly harmful to the family.害羞草研究所�
For centuries, Britain害羞草研究所檚 royal dramas played out at a distance from the public, as a deferential media protected the secrets of the monarchy. In the 1930s, the romance between King Edward VIII and divorced American Wallis Simpson was headline news in the U.S. press, but barely mentioned in Britain until the king abdicated, forced to choose between the crown and the woman he loved.
That changed by the time Prince Charles married 20-year-old Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 in a ceremony watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world. The media charted every twist in the saga that followed: the births of sons William and Harry, Diana害羞草研究所檚 glamour and charity work, and her evident and growing unhappiness in the marriage.
WATCH: A History of British Royal Wedding Dresses
Charles and Diana both used the media as a weapon as their marriage foundered, giving TV interviews to present themselves in a sympathetic light. It was ratings gold, reaching a peak when Diana told an interviewer that 害羞草研究所渢here were three of us害羞草研究所� in the marriage 害羞草研究所� Diana, Charles and his then-paramour Camilla Parker Bowles, who is now Charles害羞草研究所� wife.
害羞草研究所淒iana turned the royal family inside out,害羞草研究所� said Ellis Cashmore, honorary professor of sociology at Aston University and author of books on celebrity culture. 害羞草研究所淎ll the dirty secrets had come into the public domain.害羞草研究所�
Diana became the most famous woman on Earth, trailed by paparazzi wherever she went 害羞草研究所� including to her death. She was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997 while being pursued by photographers.
Diana害羞草研究所檚 death provoked a crisis for the monarchy 害羞草研究所� which was portrayed as remote and cold at a time of national grief 害羞草研究所� and for the media, accused of hounding a vulnerable woman.
In the years that followed, palace and press reached an uneasy truce. The royal family made concessions to popular interests, including carefully staged interviews and photo opportunities with William and Harry as they grew up. That practice has continued with the three young children of William and his wife Kate.
But Diana害羞草研究所檚 sons retain a deeply ingrained mistrust of the media.
害羞草研究所淗arry害羞草研究所檚 attitude towards the press is he doesn害羞草研究所檛 like the press,害羞草研究所� former Sun newspaper royal editor Duncan Larcombe, author of 害羞草研究所淧rince Harry: The Inside Story,害羞草研究所� told Town & Country magazine. 害羞草研究所淚n Harry害羞草研究所檚 mind, it was the press that killed his mother.害羞草研究所�
When Harry and Markle decided to make their relationship public, the prince fired a broadside at the media, saying that the biracial Markle had faced 害羞草研究所渁 wave of abuse and harassment,害羞草研究所� including 害羞草研究所渞acial undertones害羞草研究所� in comment articles.
害羞草研究所淭his is not a game 害羞草研究所� it is her life and his,害羞草研究所� said the statement from Harry害羞草研究所檚 press secretary.
Still, Markle害羞草研究所檚 media experience, gained during her career as an actress, has been evident from the start. At the couple害羞草研究所檚 televised engagement interview she appeared relaxed, confident and happy. It was a far cry from a 1981 interview with shy Diana and awkward Charles, who replied 害羞草研究所渨hatever love means害羞草研究所� when asked if he was in love.
Saturday害羞草研究所檚 wedding is expected to draw more than 5,000 media staff and 79 television networks from around the world to Windsor. American and international TV networks plan hours of live coverage.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 think anything can quite prepare her,害羞草研究所� Cashmore said 害羞草研究所� though as 害羞草研究所渁n independent-minded woman, brimming with confidence,害羞草研究所� Markle is well equipped to deal with intense media interest that is unlikely to fade.
害羞草研究所淭he media are the public害羞草研究所檚 proxy,害羞草研究所� Cashmore said. 害羞草研究所淭he reason they go for these stories that are ever more intrusive is that we want it.害羞草研究所�
The Associated Press
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