A royal book has outlined Meghan Markle’s response when King Charles offered to walk her down the aisle on the day of her wedding to Prince Harry. The now-king made the gesture at a time when tensions had been high leading up to the occasion due to Meghan’s dad Thomas Markle.

Thomas announced he would not be attending with less than a week to go before the big day. So Meghan’s future father-in-law, Charles, then offered to step in, telling his daughter-in-law he would be honoured to escort her to the altar of the chapel, as reported by The Mirror.

But according to a book, her reply to this gesture was somewhat unexpected by the then Prince of Wales. Writing in Queen of Our Times, author Robert Hardman says: The reply, according to one friend, was not quite what he was expecting: “Can we meet halfway?”

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“Here was an indicator that this was no blushing bride, but a confident, independent woman determined to make a grand entrance on her own.” The Duchess of Sussex tied the knot with Charles’ youngest son Prince Harry in 2014 in a fairy-tale Windsor wedding.

All of the royals packed into St George’s Chapel to see the couple exchange vows while Meghan wowed in her stunning Givenchy wedding gown.

Since that day, a lot has happened for Harry and Meghan from welcoming their two children Archie and Lilibet to quitting their royal roles and leaving the UK for California. However, last month they were reunited with their royal relatives – with whom they have a rocky bond – in the wake of the sad death of the Queen aged 96.

During their time in the UK, they attended the Queen’s state funeral and even joined Prince William and wife Kate for a walkabout in Windsor in the days after the late monarch’s death to view floral tributes and meet wellwishers. However, now they’ve returned to California, attentions have turned to what might be included in Harry’s upcoming memoir and his and Meghan’s reported new Netflix documentary show.

And now royal expert Duncan Larcombe has said it’s now the time for Harry and Meghan to decide whether they want to be in or out when it comes to royal life. He told OK! magazine: “Charles, Camilla, William and Kate are entering a new era of the institution. It’s up to Harry and Meghan whether they want all or nothing.

“When William and Kate became the Prince and Princess of Wales, one of their first jobs was to reach out to Meghan and Harry, and Charles explicitly affirmed their relationship in his speech, no matter what has been said and done. In my opinion, it’s only Meghan and Harry who can decide what they want.

“Do they want to forgive and forget, creating unity with the royal family? Or do they want a wholly separated life in California? They cannot have both.”