ITV reportedly flew Thomas Markle, 73, from his home in Mexico to a luxury hotel in California for the live chat
THE Duchess of Sussex's dad was reportedly paid £7,500 for a live tell-all TV interview - after being exposed over staged paparazzi shots.
Thomas Markle, 73, was probed on Good Morning Britain yesterday after ITV flew him from his home in Mexico to a luxury hotel in California.
During the extraordinary chat, he said he made Prince Harry promise "never to raise a hand" to Meghan when he asked permission to marry his daughter.
He also said the newlyweds had forgiven him for posing for fake paparazzi photos and admitted he made a "serious mistake" in choosing to set up the shots.
Kensington Palace were deliberately kept in the dark about Mr Markle's first ever TV interview, so there wasn't an opportunity to dissuade him, according to the .
He confirmed he hadn't warned his ex-actress daughter prior to the live broadcast, but hoped he hadn't offended them and that the royals would "understand my feelings as well".
Piers Morgan said Mr Markle had pocketed "a few thousand pounds", but insisted his "ultimate motive was not money" and had turned down significantly higher offers from American media outlets.
The presenter insisted his "ultimate motive was not money" but a "proper chance" to put across his "side of the story" on a British programme.
During the interview, the retired TV lighting director explained why he set up the fake picture shoot and said his daughter and Harry still wanted him to come to the wedding.
He said: "I didn't do this for money, I did this to change my image. I was presented as a hermit hiding out in Mexico but obviously that was a mistake and went wrong.
"I realised it was a serious mistake. It's hard to take it back.
"I spoke to them both and apologised. I realised it was a serious mistake but it was hard to take it back. I had been seen as a negative for an entire year and I wanted to improve my look."
He said he "wished" he had been the one to walk Meghan into St George's Chapel, and revealed he cried as he watched Prince Charles step in on May 19.
Mr Markle was forced to pull out of the royal wedding with just days to go for a heart operation.
In the week running up to the big day he changed his mind several times over if he would be attending, before finally deciding he wouldn't be able to fly to the UK - after it was revealed he worked with paparazzi to stage pictures.
He confessed he had cried as he watched the royal ceremony on television, describing his daughter as "beautiful", and that it was "incredible watching her".
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