RICHARD KAY Prince Charles came to the rescue

RICHARD KAY Prince Charles came to the rescue

All in all it was the most elegant of solutions to the most intractable of problems. And it was reached in that most English of ways – over a cup of tea.

As the sound of discord over the royal wedding finally subsides, the decision that will today see Prince Charles escort his daughter-in-law down the aisle of St George's Chapel, Windsor, will be viewed as successfully pouring oil on troubled waters.

It came too late to amend the order of service, which still has Meghan being accompanied by her father Thomas Markle, but it was not too late for the royals to ensure that all's well that ends well.

Ever since Meghan's father began his will-he, won't-he routine about turning up from his Mexican bolthole, palace officials have been on red alert over who would take his place to give the bride away.

But such a delicate move required unanimous approval. So it was that no decision was taken until the arrival in Britain of the one person who was key – Meghan's mother Doria Ragland.

The bookies had installed her as favourite to do the honours. Already facing the most nerve-racking ordeal as mother of the bride she had no wish to add to the pressure.

So the family tea party Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall threw for Harry and Meghan and Doria at Clarence House on Wednesday afternoon was more than just exchanging pleasantries.

Harry had already sounded out his father about stepping into Mr Markle's shoes. But Charles wanted to be certain that this would receive the blessing of Miss Ragland.

I understand she was gracious in her assent. The prince also wanted to be certain that Miss Ragland did not wish to stand in for her ex-husband.

For Meghan it was a thrilling moment when the man who this morning will become her father-in-law made his touching gesture. But there was still a twist, a sign that the wedding will have a very modern feel. Meghan will begin her walk up the aisle alone. Accompanied by her six bridesmaids and four pageboys, she will follow the Dean of Windsor up the length of the nave.

There, at the entrance to the quire, Prince Charles will be waiting to complete her journey to the altar. In fact this had always been Meghan's intention. Even if her father had been there, she wanted to walk the first part alone – a move being seen by some as a bold feminist gesture.

Intriguingly, royal officials were not demurring at this interpretation and added to it by pointedly avoiding saying that the prince would be giving her away, rather that he would 'accompany her'.

The distinction is significant in other ways too for there is no mention in the order of service – as there was when Kate Middleton married Prince William – of the traditional words where the priest asks, 'Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?'

In 2011 at Westminster Abbey the Archbishop of Canterbury received Kate's hand from her father Michael Middleton.

For the Prince of Wales the emotions will be bittersweet. It was once a dream of his to be a father of a bride giving away a daughter on her wedding day. Had his marriage to Diana survived and they had had the daughter Diana longed for it might have come to pass.

But today he will, uniquely perhaps for a father of boys, find himself giving away a bride for the second time. Two years ago he accepted the honour to give away Alexandra Knatchbull in the place of her father and his childhood, friend Lord Brabourne, who was not well enough to carry out the role himself.

At the time it raised eyebrows but it was left to the vicar who conducted the service at Romsey Abbey to point out that Charles was, in fact, 'family'. A cousin through his father Prince Philip, he had also been best man at Brabourne's wedding.

The links between the family run deep, not least because of the murder of Brabourne's grandfather Earl Mountbatten, who was a powerful mentor for the prince.

Drawing these strands together, Charles became the most obvious figure to step in today.

Friends said yesterday that he was 'genuinely affected' to have been asked. 'He considers it a great honour and he is proud to do it,' said one of his circle. 'He feels that Harry and Meghan are entrusting him with something special.'

Of course, Harry might have asked his brother to take on the responsibility were it not for the fact that William will be alongside him at the altar as best man.

Indeed, switching William might have meant a last-minute call-up for one