Meghan Markle’s reclusive father Thomas has begun his journey to London for the royal wedding, DailyMail.com can reveal.
The 73-year-old left his secluded home in Rosarito, Mexico, late Wednesday evening and stopped briefly at a convenience store close to his house before setting off for the border at San Ysidro.
After crossing, he checked into a budget $70-a-night motel in San Diego, California, – briefly popping out to stock up at a nearby 7-Eleven before settling in for the night.
Rooms at the low-cost property come equipped with coffee makers and a refrigerator, as well as cable TV and free Wi-Fi.
Guests are offered a free ‘continental breakfast’ at the hotel or can purchase food from one of the nearby fast-food restaurants located close to the property.
Thomas Markle left his secluded home in Rosarito, Mexico, late Wednesday evening and stopped briefly at a convenience store close to his house before setting off for the border at San Ysidro
Thomas Markle is seen stopping at the store. The former lighting director, who was bundled up in a navy hoodie and a blue cotton shirt for the trip, appeared to have had a haircut in preparation for the Windsor Castle nuptials on May 19
Last week, Kensington Palace announced that Markle Sr would be walking Meghan, 36, down the aisle when she marries Prince Harry – ending months of speculation over whether he will attend. He’s seen above collecting supplies from a 7-Eleven
The former lighting director, who was bundled up in a navy hoodie and a blue cotton shirt for the trip, appeared to have had a haircut in preparation for the Windsor Castle nuptials on May 19.
Last week, Kensington Palace announced that Markle Sr would be walking Meghan, 36, down the aisle when she marries Prince Harry – ending months of speculation over whether he will attend.
His ex-wife Doria Ragland, 61, will also be at St. George’s Chapel for the nuptials and will travel to the picturesque 14th Century church in a car with her daughter on the day.
Other guests in the 600-strong congregation will include the Queen, Prince Charles and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – all of whom Markle Sr will meet before the wedding next week.
Markle Sr will also meet his future son-in-law Harry, 33, for the first time, having so far only spoken with him by phone.
Meghan’s half-siblings, Samantha Grant, 53, and Tom Jr, 51, have both been left off the guest list along with Grant’s 19-year-old daughter Noel and Tom Jr’s two sons Thomas and Tyler Dooley.
The 73-year-old has spent the past week making preparations for his trip to London, including getting measured for a suit and visiting a pharmacy in his adopted hometown.
Among the supplies he picked up at the store was a can of Heineken. He is seen above leaving the shop
Prince Harry’s fiancee Meghan Markle is pictured in her younger days with her father Thomas, a retired lighting director
A friend, who works in the secluded compound where he lives, told DailyMail.com: ‘He is excited about the wedding.
‘He has promised Meghan that he won’t talk to anybody about her now or ever. He just wants a quiet life and he likes to be left alone.’
His experiences while hobnobbing with royalty in the British capital will be in stark contrast to the quiet life he leads in Rosarito, Baja California.
Prince Harry’s soon-to-be father-in-law has been living in the Mexican town since 2011 when he relocated from Los Angeles after retiring from his job on long-running soap, General Hospital.
The small Pacific coast town is home to 65,000 residents, of which approximately 15,000 are American expats – drawn to the area by the year-round sunshine and low prices.
Luxury two-bedroom condos can be rented for as little as $500 per month, while spacious three-bedroom homes in the gated community in which Markle Sr lives start at $1,250.
Purchasing a similar property in the same complex would cost around $187,000 – a snip compared to San Diego, 15 miles north, where prime oceanfront homes are priced in the millions of dollars.
Meghan and Harry will tie the knot on May 19 in Windsor. Meghan’s half-siblings, Samantha Grant, 53, and Tom Jr, 51, have both been left off the guest list along with Grant’s 19-year-old daughter Noel and Tom Jr’s two sons Thomas and Tyler Dooley
Clifftop properties like Markle Sr’s have spectacular views of the Pacific and the Coronado Islands, nine miles out to sea, as well as the cream-colored pelicans that nest there.
Living costs are lower still and Rosarito is awash with restaurants and bars where a beer can be had for a dollar and a freshly cooked plate of tacos for $3.
But the town does have a dark side – a bloody gang war that has lasted a decade and sometimes spills over into residential areas.
As a result, with 80 murder victims in a city of 65,000 people in 2016, the town also has one of Mexico’s highest homicide rates.
Nearby Tijuana fares even worse and was recently named the second most lethal city in the world – tying for the dubious honor with the resort of Acapulco.
Along with the choked San Ysidro border crossing with the US, the town’s main claim to fame is its seedy brand of nightlife which includes a huge three-floor strip club named Hong Kong.
Thomas Markle was spotted at a suit fitting in Rosarito, Mexico, on Friday in preparation for his daughter’s wedding
What appears to be a suit was seen being delivered to the home of Thomas Markle in Rosarito as he prepares to walk his daughter down the aisle on May 19
Markle Sr, however, prefers a quieter life: spending his days pottering around at his small yellow-painted home and visiting the local branch of Home Depot where he was recently seen purchasing a toilet.
A security guard at the local Walmart told DailyMail.com that Markle Sr is a semi-regular visitor, stopping by to stock up once every two weeks.
Other favorite haunts include the Real del Mar Golf Resort, where he was recently pictured out for a run, and the Pabellón Rosarito Mall, which is home to an Applebee’s restaurant and an Italian eatery called Alba Soul where he was spotted dining with female friend Lori Davis, 38.
But while neighbors say he likes to keep himself to himself, he is thought to speak frequently daughter Meghan – and her royal fiancé.
Speaking to the Mirror in March, Davis said: ‘Talk that Harry had upset Tom with comments about their family aren’t true.
‘He thinks Harry’s a great guy – he couldn’t have wished for a better son-in-law. They’ve had many conversations. Friendly conversations. He’s delighted for them.
‘Tom misses his daughter terribly. He and Meghan have always been really close.’
Markle, 73, was seen in Rosarito, Mexico, surfing the web for information about Prince Harry and the 36-year-old actress