Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle asked for understanding and respect for the actress' father following a report he would not attend the couple's wedding.
"This is a deeply personal moment for Ms Markle in the days before her wedding," Kensington Palace said in a statement on Monday. "She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation."
Earlier US celebrity website TMZ said that Thomas Markle would not be attending after it was reported he had staged photographs for a paparazzi photographer.
A Kensington Palace spokeswoman declined to comment on the report or to confirm whether Markle's father would be at the ceremony to walk her down the aisle as planned.
Markle was due to walk his daughter down the aisle at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth's home to the west of London, at a ceremony which will be attended by Britain's royals and celebrities, and in the glare of the world's media.
He was also due to meet the queen, her husband and the other senior members of the Windsor family this week.
However, Britain's Mail on Sunday reported that Markle had agreed to stage pictures with a photographer ahead of his trip and the images had been sold to media for more than $100,000.
TMZ said it had spoken to Markle and that he had said the paparazzi agency had approached him and offered him money, although the sum was not close to the reported figure.
He said he had agreed to the pictures because he hoped they would improve his image as previous paparazzi snaps had shown him buying beer and looking dishevelled, TMZ said.
The website also said Markle had revealed he had suffered a heart attack six days ago but had checked himself out of the hospital in order to attend the wedding.
Earlier on Monday, Kensington Palace said Meghan Markle and her mother would be staying at a luxurious hotel near Windsor the night before the ceremony. They were due to travel to the chapel together on Saturday.
