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Meghan Markle's father reportedly not attending royal wedding days after suffering heart attack

Meghan Markle's father is reportedly claiming that he'll no longer be attending his daughter's wedding on Saturday, May 19.

TMZ reportedly spoke to Thomas Markle on Monday in the midst of the controversy around his staged paparazzi photos that surfaced over the weekend, and he claims that he checked himself out of a hospital after suffering a heart attack six days ago so that he could attend his daughter's wedding. But, in the fallout of his paparazzi scandal, he's decided not to attend after all.

The former "Suits" actress' reclusive father says that in an effort "not to embarrass the royal family or his daughter," he has decided to not attend the wedding, which would mean he's no longer going to walk his daughter down the aisle at St. George's Chapel.

In response to the bombshell report, Kensington Palace issued a brief statement on Monday afternoon.

"This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding," Victoria Murphy, the Daily Mirror's Royal Correspondent, tweeted. "She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation."

SEE ALSO: Meghan Markle's father 'deeply embarrassed' after staged paparazzi ploy revealed: Report

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The former Hollywood lighting director told TMZ on Monday that "over the last year he's been ambushed by paparazzi who have photographed him in the most unflattering circumstances."

"Buying beer, looking disheveled and reclusive. He's especially upset that they made him look like a lush," TMZ reported. "Thomas says he doesn't even drink beer ... he was buying it for the guards at the place where he lives."

After turning down huge sums of money attached to a slew of interview requests since his daughter became a household name, Markle "figured there was no harm" in partnering with the paparazzi agency because "it would help recast his image" ahead of his daughter's big day at Windsor Castle.

He now "deeply regrets" the "stupid and hammy" photos and has decided that he has already caused too much embarrassment for Meghan and her future family, so he's pulling himself out of the royal wedding.

Ahead of the paparazzi photo controversy, Meghan and Thomas were reportedly in "a good place," but Us Weekly reported on Monday that Meghan was "disturbed" by his latest actions.

"Meghan is upset and disturbed by the entire ordeal and just wants to move past it," a source told Us. "She doesn’t want to let anything ruin her day and is trying to keep focus on the weekend."

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