Meghan Markle’s Dad Hospitalized After Suffering More Chest Pains

While Meghan Markle‘s sister, Samantha Grant, told Good Morning Britain on Tuesday that their father has been “panicked” due to stress caused by the media in the days leading up to Meghan Markle’s wedding to Prince Harry, Thomas Markle Sr. is reportedly going back to the hospital with chest pains.

The 73-year-old told TMZ that he’s experiencing chest pains after his alleged heart attack last week. He says he’s emotionally upset by the way Grant has been talking about Meghan Markle in the press.

“I’ve been popping Valium for the pain, especially when I hear about my oldest daughter,” Markle Sr. reportedly told TMZ.

Markle Sr. told the news outlet that he checked out of General Hospital in Mexico, which he describes as a “charity hospital,” a few days ago, but that he feels he needs to go to another hospital soon. He’s reportedly worried he may be on the verge of another heart attack; the one he suffered last week was reportedly his second.

He told TMZ that he will not be attending the Royal Wedding, and therefore will not be walking Meghan Markle down the aisle to give her away to Prince Harry. He said he thinks Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, is a good choice for walking Markle down the aisle on Saturday.

Family drama has been surrounding the Royal Family in the weeks approaching the Royal Wedding. Despite his direct mention of Grant, Markle’s half-sister appeared on Good Morning Britain Tuesday morning to blame media coverage for her father’s stressful time.

Markle Sr. said he has chosen not to attend the wedding due to fallout over a staged paparazzi photo shoot arranged by Grant, which he partook in to try and change his negative public image.

News of the scandal broke on Sunday, less than a week before Markle and Prince Harry are set to say “I do.” The Daily Mail published surveillance footage appearing to show the 73-year-old Markle Sr. arriving at an internet cafe with photographer Jeff Rayner in Rosarito, Mexico, where he now lives. The two appear to be staging a photo of Markle Sr. looking at a photo of his daughter and Prince Harry on a computer screen.

The internet cafe photo was just one of several images sold to newspapers around the world that were taken with Markle Sr.’s cooperation. The others show him working out with weights to apparently get in shape for the wedding, getting measured by a “tailor” for a custom suit and looking at a book on British landmarks in a Starbucks.

Monday, Grant took the blame for Markle Sr.’s photo staging scandal.

“I have to say I am entirely the culprit,” Samantha said during an appearance on British talk show Loose Women on Monday. “As we know the media can take very unflattering photographs of people on their casual days and blow it way out of proportion. I said, you know, the world has no idea you’re getting in shape, doing healthy things. They don’t photograph you buying vegetables and PH water. They photograph you as unflattering ways as they can.”

“So I said, really you need to show the world that you’re getting in shape and doing great healthy things,” she added. “So I suggested it. There’s a lot of scrutiny that it was money motivated, it was not. It was my suggestion that to benefit him and to benefit the royal family that everyone looked good and they depict you as you are – in shape and doing healthy things.”

“I merely wanted him to be seen in a respectable light. I didn’t feel that was being done so I suggested that the photographers show him as he is, doing positive things and that was never addressed,” she concluded.

A source close to the soon-to-be princess claimed that Markle “is upset and disturbed” by the scandal and that she “doesn’t want to let anything ruin her day.”

A Kensington Palace spokesman said Monday night: “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.”