Meghan's Father Gushed About His Daughter's Royal Wedding As She Became A Duchess 

Meghan Markle\'s Dad Thomas Gushes About Her Wedding: \'My Baby Girl Is a Duchess\'

Meghan Markle‘s dad Thomas couldn’t stop gushing about his daughter’s wedding or her new royal title.

While the new royal’s father did not attend her wedding to Prince Harry on Saturday, he was watching from across the pond.

Thomas told TMZ the service “was beautiful and it’s history” while adding he “will always regret not being able to be there and not being able to hold my daughter’s hand.”

“My baby girl is a duchess and I love her so much,” he said. “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.”

Thomas told the outlet he sent his daughter a text message to wish her well and to tell her he loves her.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle greet crowds outside of Windsor Castle following their royal wedding

In the days leading up to Harry and Meghan’s nuptials, drama surrounded her half-siblings including her half-sister Samantha Markle who admitted to ITV’s 

that she had been behind the idea of Thomas staging paparazzi photos of himself preparing for the royal wedding. Earlier this month, Meghan’s half-brother, Thomas Jr., wrote a scathing letter in which he told Harry not to marry her.

Thomas told TMZ he was praying “Harry and Meghan can go on a nice honeymoon and rest and relax, and all of my relatives will just shut up about everything.”

It’s the event of the year! Be sure to keep up with all of PEOPLE’s royal wedding coverage and don’t forget to check out everything you need to know about Meghan Markle’s perfect style.

RELATED VIDEO: The Moment We’ve Been Waiting For! See Meghan Markle’s Stunning Wedding Dress

Meghan and Harry tied the knot at Windsor Castle’s St. George’s Chapel in front of roughly 600 guests including Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Kate Middleton. Charles had a special role in the service, escorting Meghan down the aisle after it was confirmed that her father couldn’t attend the wedding.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds climbed into the Ascot Landau carriage from the Royal Mews to take them on their first horse-drawn journey through the streets of Windsor.

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The pair began dating in July 2016 after meeting on a blind date and were first revealed as a couple in October 2016. During their high-speed, long-distance courtship, Harry and Meghan spent time together at each other’s respective homes in London and Toronto, where Markle filmed 

. The seventh season of the USA legal drama was Meghan’s last.

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