The Latest on Britainsa国际传媒檚 royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Saturday:
Meghan Marklesa国际传媒檚 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 Castlesa国际传媒檚 St. Georgesa国际传媒檚 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 sa国际传媒淚 hate the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle.sa国际传媒� 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 Saturdaysa国际传媒檚 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 Britainsa国际传媒檚 royal family and the media sa国际传媒� a relationship that is deep, complex and sometimes toxic.
sa国际传媒淚t is a symbiotic and parasitic relationship which is harmful to both sides,sa国际传媒� said Graham Smith of anti-monarchy group Republic, who is resolutely unaffected by royal wedding fever. sa国际传媒淐ertainly harmful to the British public in terms of the way in which we are fed this hype and nonsense sa国际传媒� and clearly harmful to the family.sa国际传媒�
For centuries, Britainsa国际传媒檚 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, Dianasa国际传媒檚 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 sa国际传媒渢here were three of ussa国际传媒� in the marriage sa国际传媒� Diana, Charles and his then-paramour Camilla Parker Bowles, who is now Charlessa国际传媒� wife.
sa国际传媒淒iana turned the royal family inside out,sa国际传媒� said Ellis Cashmore, honorary professor of sociology at Aston University and author of books on celebrity culture. sa国际传媒淎ll the dirty secrets had come into the public domain.sa国际传媒�
Diana became the most famous woman on Earth, trailed by paparazzi wherever she went sa国际传媒� including to her death. She was killed in a Paris car crash in 1997 while being pursued by photographers.
Dianasa国际传媒檚 death provoked a crisis for the monarchy sa国际传媒� which was portrayed as remote and cold at a time of national grief sa国际传媒� 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 Dianasa国际传媒檚 sons retain a deeply ingrained mistrust of the media.
sa国际传媒淗arrysa国际传媒檚 attitude towards the press is he doesnsa国际传媒檛 like the press,sa国际传媒� former Sun newspaper royal editor Duncan Larcombe, author of sa国际传媒淧rince Harry: The Inside Story,sa国际传媒� told Town & Country magazine. sa国际传媒淚n Harrysa国际传媒檚 mind, it was the press that killed his mother.sa国际传媒�
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 sa国际传媒渁 wave of abuse and harassment,sa国际传媒� including sa国际传媒渞acial undertonessa国际传媒� in comment articles.
sa国际传媒淭his is not a game sa国际传媒� it is her life and his,sa国际传媒� said the statement from Harrysa国际传媒檚 press secretary.
Still, Marklesa国际传媒檚 media experience, gained during her career as an actress, has been evident from the start. At the couplesa国际传媒檚 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 sa国际传媒渨hatever love meanssa国际传媒� when asked if he was in love.
Saturdaysa国际传媒檚 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.
sa国际传媒淚 donsa国际传媒檛 think anything can quite prepare her,sa国际传媒� Cashmore said sa国际传媒� though as sa国际传媒渁n independent-minded woman, brimming with confidence,sa国际传媒� Markle is well equipped to deal with intense media interest that is unlikely to fade.
sa国际传媒淭he media are the publicsa国际传媒檚 proxy,sa国际传媒� Cashmore said. sa国际传媒淭he reason they go for these stories that are ever more intrusive is that we want it.sa国际传媒�
The Associated Press
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