'Joyful' Thomas Markle's First Comment on the Royal Wedding

After weeks of speculation whether Meghan Markle's father Thomas Markle would be able to attend her royal wedding, he finally had no choice but to beg off due to his recovery from heart surgery.

Instead of walking his daughter down the aisle, Markle, 73, watched from halfway around the world while on the mend from surgery that CNN reported was to clear blockage in his heart, to repair damage done by a heart attack, and to install a stent.

Now, Markle has told TMZ that while "joyful," he "will always regret not being able to be there and not being able to hold my daughter's hand."

He deemed the ceremony "beautiful," calling it "history."

"My baby girl is a duchess and I love her so much," he went on to say. "When you watch your child get married, every thought goes through your mind, every memory from the first day she was born, the first time I held her."

Hilariously, Markle also told TMZ that he hopes "all of my relatives will just shut up about everything" while the bride and groom enjoy their honeymoon!

His snarky remark is likely in reference to his daughter Samantha Markle, Meghan's estranged half-sister who identified herself as the "culprit" who encouraged her dad to participate in staged paparazzi photos showing him in a positive light.

The discovery of the true nature of those photos, taken in Rosarito, Mexico, where he lives, was an embarrassment that caused Thomas to announced he would not attend the wedding. After a concerned text from Meghan, he indicated he had changed his mind — until the latest heart attack took him out of the running to walk her down the aisle. Meghan's new father-in-law stepped in and did the honors.