Meghan Markle’s father on royal wedding: ‘I wish I were there’

After backing out of daughter Meghan Markle‘s royal nuptials to Prince Harry, Thomas Markle spoke out Saturday as he watched the wedding from afar.

“My baby looks beautiful and she looks very happy,” the bride’s father told TMZ. “I wish I were there and I wish them all my love and all happiness.”

Markle’s father was originally set to walk her down the aisle at St George’s Chapel, but flip-flopped about attending the wedding after reports surfaced he secretly collaborated with the paparazzi to stage photos of himself, readying for his daughter’s big day. He bowed out of the ceremony on Tuesday, later undergoing heart surgery Wednesday.

“The service was beautiful and it’s history. I will always regret not being able to be there and not being able to hold my daughter’s hand,” Markle’s father said of the ceremony, which he watched from his bed.

“Now I pray that Harry and Meghan can go on a nice honeymoon and rest and relax, and all of my relatives will just shut up about everything,” he added.

Though Prince Charles met Markle halfway down the aisle, her 73-year-old father was still listed in Kensington Palace’s official order of service.

Clad in a custom Givenchy Haute Couture gown designed by Clare Waight Keller, Markle wed Prince Harry, 33, in front of 600 guests. They later rode off in a horse-drawn carriage before settling in for a luncheon at Windsor Castle, hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.