Thomas Markle Sr. has hinted he will be heading to hospital after suffering chest pains, following the revelation he will not be attending the royal wedding this weekend.

He had been set to walk his daughter Meghan Markle down the aisle on Saturday, but told TMZ he will no longer be travelling to London after the Mail on Sunday revealed that he had staged paparazzi photos for money.

Thomas said that he did not want to embarrass the royal family or his daughter on her big day.

He also revealed that he suffered a heart attack just six days ago and that it was his second coronary.

On Monday night Markle told TMZ that he was said to be considering a trip to hospital after suffering new chest pains.

Palace insiders told DailyMail.com that the royal family was blindsided by the news and had not been informed of Thomas' change of heart prior to the publication of his interview.

'This is a deeply personal moment for Ms. Markle in the days before her wedding. She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr. Markle in this difficult situation,' said a spokesperson for Kensington Palace in a statement.

DailyMail.com can reveal however that Meghan’s father did not seek medical attention on the day of his 'heart attack,' and was instead inside his clifftop home in Rosarito the entire day.

Two days later he was seen grabbing two Happy Meals and a frosted beverage at a McDonald's drive-thru before later stopping at KFC and emerging with a bag packed with food.

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No show: Thomas Markle said that he is no longer attending his daughter's wedding after admitting he had staged paparazzi photos (like the one above) with an agency for cash

Loving it: Two days after his heart attack, Thomas was seen at a McDonald's drive-thru were he purchased a Happy Meal and a frosted beverage (above)

Finger-lickin' good: Thomas then went to a KFC hours after he stopped by McDonald's on Thursday (above)

Daddy's girl: Mr Markle said that he did not want to run the risk of embarrassing his daughter or the royal family. He also claims he suffered a heart attack six days ago (Meghan and her father circa 2000 above)

Stressed: Thomas, 73, added that money was not a motivating factor for the photo scandal and he had instead hoped to recast his image in the wake of previously unflattering paparazzi pictures (Meghan and Prince Harry above last month)

Doria, Doria: Meghan will now only have her mother by her side as she prepares for the big day (Doria Ragland above with Prince Harry and Meghan in September)

On Monday night, he told TMZ that his eldest daughter Samantha Grant is making him angry with her constant attacks on Meghan.

He also said that he is self-medicating with Valium and has not heard from Meghan since his bombshell announcement that he is not going to the wedding on Saturday.

Thomas said that he is doing better after the heart attack, and he told TMZ he checked himself out of hospital with the hopes of going to his daughter's nuptials.

But that all changed after The Mail on Sunday reported that Thomas had been working with photographer Jeff Rayner to stage photos ahead of his trip overseas.

Thomas is now admitting that he did in fact work with a photo agency, but said he did not make much money in the process - despite the images selling for north of $100,000 to publications around the world.

He added that he decided to stay home after that story came out on Sunday, according to TMZ.

Thomas justified his actions by revealing he had been refusing multiple offers for interviews offering him up to $100,000, and only wanted to pose for the images because previous candid shots had made him look slovenly and unkempt.

An image of Thomas purchasing a beer was singled out by the father-of-the-bride as being particularly irksome. He claimed that it was for his guard and made him look like a lush when in fact he does not drink.

He regretfully confessed that he found the fake paparazzi shots to be 'stupid and hammy.'

This development comes just five days before the royal wedding, and means that Meghan will have only her mother by her side when she exchanges vows with Prince Harry on Saturday.

Kensington Palace had previously confirmed that both of Meghan's parents would be in attendance.

Meghan and Doria Ragland will stay at Cliveden House on Friday. It is now unclear who will walk Markle down the aisle.

Members of Meghan's extended family were spotted arriving in London on Monday, despite the fact that they are not invited to the wedding.

Tracy Dooley, the estranged wife of Meghan's brother Thomas Markle Jr, was spotted pushing a cart stacked with luggage through Heathrow Airport, with her two sons Tyler and Thomas in tow.

The three are set to appear on Good Morning Britain as part of the morning show's royal wedding coverage.

Papa, paparazzi: Thomas is seen on surveillance video entering an internet cafe with Jeff Rayner (above) to set up staged photos of himself looking at images of Prince Harry and his daughter

Tinker tailor: Thomas was then seen in photos getting fitted for his suit - but since the tailor was not open he went to an event supply store and used his own measuring tape (above

Shopping spree: Thomas was seen purchasing Gas-X medication, a bottle of milkshake and a can of Heineken lager the day after his 'heart attack' (Thomas above one day after his 'heart attack')

Thomas spent the day prior to his heart attack inside his Mexican home, where he did receive a brief visit from friend Lori Davis, 38, on Monday morning.

But on Wednesday, the day after the 73-year-old allegedly left the medical center, he began an epic 24-hour round trip to Los Angeles, leaving home at 8.30pm and crossing San Diego’s San Ysidro border shortly afterwards.

After checking into the $69-per-night Rodeway Inn in San Ysidro, Thomas drove to a nearby 7-11, arriving at 9.52pm, where he was seen purchasing Gas-X medication, a bottle of milkshake and a can of Heineken lager.

The next morning, the apparently ailing retiree departed at 4.10am – completing the 135 mile drive to Hollywood in just under four hours.

Once there, he picked up his post at a branch of UPS at 7.30am before driving to a CVS Pharmacy on North Cahuenga Boulevard in Los Angeles, where he bought a card later delivered to his ex-wife.

Thomas then drove himself to his property in Los Feliz where he relaxed for several hours, before departing for a second time at 12.30pm en route to McDonalds.

There, he purchased two Happy Meals from the drive-through, eating his lunch in the car as he drove to a nearby branch of Home Depot where he bought a large pot plant filled with white and violet blooms.

At 2.15pm, he arrived at Ragland’s Windsor Hills home and was pictured leaving the arrangement and the card outside her front door before driving off.

Thomas then departed for Mexico, returning via the I-5 freeway. He was back at his home by 8.30pm on Thursday 10.

Since then, the 73-year-old has remained inside his home, with no sign of any further attempt to seek medical assistance.

Other members of Meghan's family were also spotted arriving in London on Monday, despite the fact that they were not invited to the wedding (Tracy Dooley and Meghan's cousins Tyler and Thomas above)

Dooley style: Tracy Dooley (center), the estranged wife of Meghan's brother Thomas Markle Jr, was spotted at Heathrow Airport, with her two sons Tyler and Thomas in tow (left and right)

Surprise: Tracy (above) handed over her bags to a luxury sedan driver as she made her way out of the airport

Markle Sr is not the first relative to have left Meghan red-faced in the months leading up to her big day.

Half-brother Thomas Jr, 51, was arrested on January 12 for holding a gun to his girlfriend's head. The Oregon window fitter later admitted to having a drinking problem and said he was 'seeking help'.

He has also thrust himself into the spotlight over the past few weeks with a series of letters that he has written to his sister but handed over to InTouch for publication.

In one of those letters, published on May 2, Thomas Jr slammed the Suits actress sister and told Prince Harry to back out of the ceremony.

HOW MEGHAN'S BIG DAY WAS UPENDED: TIMELINE TO THOMAS MARKLE'S DECISION TO STAY AWAY TUESDAY MAY 8: On Monday May 14, Thomas Markle Sr claims he suffered a heart attack six days ago - making it either Tuesday or Wednesday May 8 or 9. He claims he checked himself out of hospital in order to attend the royal wedding. Markle Sr was at his home from Sunday 7 onwards and was not seen leaving it at any time WEDNESDAY MAY 9: Markle leaves his Mexican home at 8.30pm. He checks into the Rodeway Inn in San Ysidro, just across the U.S. border, and shops at a nearby 7-11. He is seen purchasing Gas X medication, a milkshake and a bottle of Heineken THURSDAY MAY 10: At 4.10am Markle drives 135 miles to his property in Los Feliz. He picks up mail at UPS before stopping in to CVS to buy his former wife Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mother, a card and returning home. He is later photographed purchasing two Happy Meals and a creamy drink at a McDonalds drive-thru. He also bought a large pot of flowers for his estranged wife from a Home Depot Later that afternoon, he is pictured dropping off the flowers and card at Doria Ragland's home. He is then pictured picking up KFC close to the Mexico border as he returns to his Mexico home FRIDAY MAY 11: Markle remains in his Mexico home SATURDAY MAY 12: Markle remains in his Mexico home SUNDAY MAY 13: The Mail on Sunday reveals that Markle has been staging paparazzi photos of himself in the run up to the royal wedding - the photos have raised north of $110,000. Markle remains in his Mexico home MONDAY May 14: Markle announces he will not attend his daughter's wedding or walk her down the aisle. According to TMZ, he admitted to staging paparazzi photos in the run up to the wedding. Sources say Kensington Palace was blindsided by the decision. In a statement they say is is a deeply personal matter for Ms Markle Advertisement

'As more time passes to your royal wedding, it became very clear that this is the biggest mistake in royal wedding history, ' he wrote.

'It's not to [sic] late, Meghan Markle is obviously not the right woman for you.'

On Friday, he penned another letter. Markle Jr lightened his tone and pleaded for an invite to the ceremony.

'Meg I know that I’m not perfect, nor is anyone else in our family, as I’m sure you have read by now,' he wrote. 'But good, bad, or perfect, we’re the only family that you have. It does hurt my feelings not getting invited to your wedding, along with the rest of the family.'

Meghan's half-sister Samantha has also developed an affinity for the spotlight, and over the holidays used Meghan's appearance at the royal family's annual Christmas gathering to promote her upcoming book about Meghan on social media.

At the same time she lashed out at Prince Harry for saying the royals are the 'family I that she's never had'.

Samantha posted to Twitter shortly after hearing that remark, writing: 'Actually she has a large family who were always there with her and for her. Our household was very normal and when dad and Doria divorced, we all made it so it was like she had two houses. No one was estranged, she was just too busy.'

She then plugged her upcoming project by adding: 'Read my book complete with facts and photos.'

Samantha later promised more 'fun details' on Meghan's family in the book, along with some never-before-seen photos of the future royal.

It is still unclear if Samantha has a publisher.

That did not seem to matter on Christmas Day when she took took advantage of her sister's high-profile trip to Sandringham with Queen Elizabeth by tweeting: 'Excited for my book coming out and wait until you see what our home life was like!'

The current title of the book is The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister.

‘The title is a mockery of the media,’ Samantha told the Daily Mail in November.

‘It wasn’t me who called Meg “pushy”, it was the tabloid newspapers. She is not pushy. The book isn’t going to be negative — it’s a warm, witty, honoring book — unfortunately, the negative sing-song has gone round the world.'

Samantha has been both fawning and brutal with her comments about Meghan, depicting the Suits actress as opportunistic and calculating in interviews earlier this year before doing a complete about face over the past few months.

Meghan meanwhile has said nothing in the press about either of her half-siblings.

Difficult day: Meghan is no doubt devastated by the news that her father will not be there for her wedding as she has always spoken lovingly of Thomas

My guy: 'Happy Father's Day daddy. I’m still your buckaroo, and to this day your hugs are still the very best in the whole wide world,' wrote Meghan in a 2016 message to Thomas

Nosey: 'Thanks for my work ethic, my love of Busby Berkeley films & club sandwiches, for teaching me the importance of handwritten thank you notes, and for giving me that signature Markle nose. I love you,' Meghan said to her father in an Instagram post

Tough time: Thomas Jr had previously told DailyMail.com that his father was struggling ahead of the big weeding.

Doria met Meghan's father on the set of the General Hospital when she was temping on the soap opera and he was working in the lighting department.

Thomas later won a Daytime Emmy Award for his work.

They divorced when Meghan was six and both parents spent a considerable amount of time with their daughter,

Samantha and her brother Thomas Jr are the children of Thomas and his first wife Roslyn.

Meghan is no doubt devastated by the news that her father will not be there for her wedding as she has always spoken lovingly of Thomas.

She spent her youth visiting him on set as he spent ten years on the popular Fox sitcom Married With Children... and later broke into the business herself.

In 2016, Markle posted a image of herself as a baby laying on her father's chest with a heartfelt message accompanying the photo.

'Happy Father's Day daddy. I’m still your buckaroo, and to this day your hugs are still the very best in the whole wide world,' wrote Meghan.

'Thanks for my work ethic, my love of Busby Berkeley films & club sandwiches, for teaching me the importance of handwritten thank you notes, and for giving me that signature Markle nose. I love you.'

Thomas Jr had previously told DailyMail.com that his father was struggling ahead of the big weeding.

'Dad never liked the limelight, but since the news came out about Meghan and Harry he's become a total recluse,' he said earlier this year.

'I haven't seen him in years. He hates the attention Meghan's romance has brought on to him. He loves her but hates the idea of being in the spotlight.'