Thomas Markle, father of bride-to-be Meghan Markle, recently revealed that he would not be attending the royal wedding this Saturday.
The 73-year-old told TMZ that he had a heart attack just over a week ago, but checked himself out of hospital in hopes of walking his daughter down the aisle.
Now, though, Thomas is set to undergo open heart surgery today at 7:30am, so he will not be able to travel to the UK. He felt chest pain on Monday, and went to hospital yesterday, May 15, where a series of tests determined that he needs surgery.
"They [doctors] will go in and clear blockage, repair damage and put a stent where it is needed," Meghan's father told TMZ.
Thomas also says that the former Suits star sent him texts on Tuesday expressing her love for him and that she's worried about his health.
Despite wanting to see his daughter and Prince Harry tie the knot, the former TV lighting director says that because of the surgery, he won't be able to join in the celebrations.
He believes that the catalyst for his heart attack was the open letter Thomas Markle Jr, Meghan's half-brother, wrote to Prince Harry. The letter urged the Prince not to marry the 36-year-old actress.
As well, on Monday, Thomas shared his hesitation about attending the wedding as he didn't want to cause his daughter embarrassment after making a photo deal with a paparazzi agency.
We hope that Thomas' operation today goes smoothly, and we wish him a speedy recovery.
