Photos were big mistake, admits Meghan's father

The American former TV lighting director did not say how he defined normality, but professed to have been “honoured” that “someone like Prince Charles” should have taken his place at Windsor Castle last month.

Mr Markle, giving his first major interview since his daughter, Meghan, married Prince Harry, said he had cried when he saw the day’s events unfold on TV.

He was recovering in California from heart surgery at the time, a procedure which involved the fitting of three stents in his arteries.

But it was his faux pas in staging pictures for the paparazzi that had made his absence almost inevitable.

He had apologised to both Harry and his daughter, adding: “I realised it was a serious mistake. It’s hard to take it back.”

Mr Markle, 73, said he had chosen to sit for the interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain to show that he was a “normal guy”, and did not want his daughter or son-in-law “to be hurt” by any of the media attention around him.

“I want to have a nice, normal relationship with my Royal family,” he said.

It is a family circle that could soon be expanding, he hinted.

“She’s wanted children for a long time and when she met Harry and she spoke about how much she loves him, there’s got to be a child in the making, somewhere soon,” he said.

“As long as they’re happy and they have a great life and have some beautiful children and do good things in the world, I can’t ask for more.”

Meghan had sounded far from happy, he admitted, when he broke the news to her three days before the ceremony that he would not be able to accompany her to the altar.

“Meghan cried, I’m sure, and they both said, ‘Take care of yourself, we are really worried about you’. They were disappointed.

“I absolutely wanted to walk my daughter down the aisle.”

But he added: “I can’t think of a better replacement than someone like Prince Charles.”

Mr Markle said his daughter had looked “beautiful” on the day and that it had been “incredible” watching her.

“I was very proud. I was very upset that it wasn’t me (walking her down the aisle) but the whole world was watching my daughter. I was very happy about that,” he said.

“The unfortunate thing for me now is I’m a footnote in one of the greatest moments in history rather than the dad walking her down the aisle. That upsets me somewhat.”

Asked about her choice of husband, Mr Markle said he thought Harry was “great” and “an interesting guy”, with whom he had discussed Brexit and Donald Trump.

“Our conversation was, I was complaining about not liking Donald Trump – he said, ‘Give Donald Trump a chance’. I sort of disagreed with that.”

When asked about details of their Brexit discussion, he said: “It was just a loose conversation... I think he (the Duke of Sussex) was open to the experiment.”

He also recounted the moment Harry had asked him for Meghan’s hand in marriage. “Harry asked for her hand on the phone and I said: ‘You are a gentleman, promise me you will never raise your hand against my daughter and of course I will grant you my permission’.”

Seemingly unfazed by his daughter’s marriage into the Royal family, Mr Markle said she had “been a princess since the day she was born”, adding: “He made a good pick, didn’t he?”

He has yet to meet his daughter’s grandmother-in-law, but looked forward to the experience.

“I’ve had respect for that woman (the Queen) since I was a child. I think she’s one of the most incredible women in the world and I’d love to meet her,” he said – adding that he hoped his TV appearance had not offended her.

“I don’t think I have,” he said. “They know I love them and I hope the royals – the Royal family – will understand my feelings as well.”