Meghan Markle's dad may not go to her wedding after suffering a heart attack

Meghan Markle's father may miss his daughter's wedding to Prince Harry on May 19 after reportedly suffering a heart attack.

US media reports claim Thomas Markle, 73, was struck down by a heart problem six days ago, but he checked himself out of hospital to walk his daughter down the aisle. 

However, TMZ is now claiming that Thomas Markle Sr. has pulled out of the wedding this week, not just because of his health issue, but also because he doesn't want to be an embarrassment to the royal family following a recent fallout over selling photos of himself to paparazzi, thereby benefitting from his daughter's royal wedding.

Below is how TMZ is reporting it:

Meghan Markle's father will not be walking her down the aisle Saturday ... he isn't going to the wedding at all because of the fallout over selling photos of himself ... TMZ has learned.

Thomas Markle tells TMZ, he meant no harm to Meghan or the Royal Family when he made a deal to allow a photo agency to take pics of him getting ready for the wedding. He says he had a reason and it was not principally about money.

Markle tells us 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. Thomas says he doesn't even drink beer ... he was buying it for the guards at the place where he lives.

He says since his daughter started dating Prince Harry he's been offered anywhere between $50,000 and $100k for interviews and he's turned all of them down.

Thomas says the paparazzi agency approached him, offered him money -- though nowhere near the reported $100k -- and he figured there was no harm in it and it would help recast his image. 

He admits the pics look "stupid and hammy." He says he was just going along with the paparazzi agency, which he now deeply regrets.

And, Thomas says, he suffered a heart attack 6 days ago but checked himself out of the hospital so he could attend the wedding. He's now decided not to go because he doesn't want to embarrass the Royal Family or his daughter.