Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, wishes to see her father, who is unwell, yet the prospect of encountering the paparazzi is holding her back.

Thomas Markle recently underwent an urgent lower leg amputation on December 3. He is currently recovering in a hospital in the Philippines, where he has been residing for several months.

Royal commentator Emily Andrews noted in Woman & Home magazine, “Meghan once shared a close bond with her father.” However, their relationship soured after Thomas staged seemingly harmless paparazzi photos in Mexico back in 2018 and subsequently misled Meghan and Prince Harry about them.

At 81, Thomas has yet to meet Prince Harry or his grandchildren, Prince Archie, aged 6, and Princess Lilibet, aged 4.

Despite the situation, Meghan has no immediate plans to visit her father or call him, fearing their conversation might not remain private. Instead, she chose to send him a letter, as confirmed by her spokesperson, in response to his public appeals.

“There are a few reporters keeping watch at the hospital where her father is recovering,” a source revealed. “The idea of reuniting in front of the British paparazzi did not appeal to her.”

Flying commercial with commoners is also unappealing, but chartering a private jet to the Philippines would cost around $175,000 each way.

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Anthony Weiner has no regrets about his unsuccessful run this year for New York City Council, an office he held in the 1990s before he became a congressman and mayoral candidate. 

“I was disappointed with the outcome — I lost — but found the experience thrilling,” Weiner wrote in an email. “It rekindled my lifelong love affair with my city and confirmed again for me the fundamental decency of ‘regular’ people.”

Weiner was married to Huma Abedin, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton, from 2010 until they separated in 2016.

Weiner and Abedin’s son, Jordan, turns 14 on Sunday, and celebrated his bar mitzvah this year. 

“His mom and I are so grateful as we watch him become just the right balance of fine young man and tumultuous adolescent,” Weiner stated.

Weiner resigned from the House of Representatives in June 2011 after it was revealed that he had sent naked photos of himself to various women.

In 2017, after he pleaded guilty to sexting a 15-year-old girl from North Carolina, he was sentenced to nearly two years in federal prison. He was released in February 2019 after serving 15 months.

“I am figuring out what I’ll do next, but I doubt it will be as ‘interesting’ as my return to the ring — so to speak,” he said.

Just don’t try to run for office again. 

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Ryan Fitzpatrick played quarterback for 17 NFL seasons and started for a record-breaking nine teams, including the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills.

Now he’s an analyst on Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football,” and some viewers believe that fans are taking off their shirts in honor of FitzMagic, as he’s known. 

Hampton Sheet publisher Joan Jedell told me, “A bunch of middle-aged men follow the ‘Thursday Night Football’ traveling show, from stadium to stadium across the country, in hopes of getting a glimpse of Fitzpatrick’s Samson-esque long mane of chest hair.”

According to the magazine’s young sports contributor Bobby Love, these fans hang around in the stadium until the post-game show begins and then chant “Take It Off.” 

Harvard-educated Fitzpatrick has yet to comply with their hair-raising demands, though he has taken off his shirt to pump up the crowd of his own accord.

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Dick Van Dyke turned 100 on Dec. 13, and he misses Mary Tyler Moore, who played his wife, Laura Petrie, on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.” 

The 1960s sitcom was created by Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner’s father, and Rob missed her too.

In September, Rob — allegedly murdered last Sunday with his wife Michele by their drug-addled son Nick — said during an interview on Ted Danson’s podcast that he would visit his father often on the set because he was attracted to Moore. 

“I think I was about 14 years old, and I don’t know what possessed me; she was gorgeous. She wore those capri pants, and I grabbed her ass. I couldn’t help myself,” Reiner said in the interview. 

“She told my father on me. My father called me in. He said, ‘Did you grab Mary Tyler Moore by the ass?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ He says, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ And he had kind of a smile on his face. I think he wished he could have done it.” 

Moore, who passed away in 2017, was known for her personal style almost as much as her acting. 

Just in time for the holidays, M.S. Rau in New Orleans is offering the actress’s Tiffany 18K gold cuff bracelet, designed by Paloma Picasso, for $34,500.

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If you’ve won the lottery and are looking for Christmas gifts, the Robb Report has a trove of rare treasures for the luxury-loving people in your life.

Consider the pink diamond bracelet by Neha Dani for $3.5 million, Vogel’s nine-pair custom-made shoe collection (including Roper Boots made from the exact suede sourced for Paul Newman’s pair) for $67,000, or a weekend for up to 22 guests at England’s Eastnor Castle, where HBO’s “Succession” filmed Tom and Shiv’s wedding.

Vintage fur coats from Hollywood icons — one belonged to Zsa Zsa Gabor and another was Elizabeth Taylor’s — could wrap around you for $20,000. 

A red light therapy chamber by Ammortal is ageless but not priceless: $200,000. 

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Yankee Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera joined Gov. Kathy Hochul and Dr. Ramón Tallaj at the United Palace Theater on Broadway for the 20th anniversary of SOMOS Community Care’s Toy Giveaway. 

One thousand kids and their families received thousands of donated toys, handed out by Santa and the Paw Patrol. 

Gov. Hochul introduced Rivera and the Grinch and wished everyone Feliz Navidad. 

“We believe that caring for our communities extends far beyond the doctor’s office,” said Dr. Tallaj. “And that includes bringing smiles to the children who are our city’s future.” 

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Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza toasted his recent victory with a private party at Elsie Rooftop in Midtown. 

Teammates, coaches, friends and family gathered together to congratulate Mendoza.

The late-night fête turned into an impromptu celebration for Indiana’s historic Big Ten Championship win, with guests lingering well into the night to mark the milestone moment.

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Top model and comedian Eugenia Kuzmina, who was born in Moscow, isn’t joking when she says, “In Russia, I got arrested for mental illness because I tried to do comedy. To be perfectly transparent, I was doing comedy about Putin.”

Kuzmina, the wife of film producer and former Miramax CEO Bill Block, just had a gig doing stand-up at the Tokyo Comedy Bar, where she made fun of herself for being blonde and pretty.

She also flew to Miami for Art Basel, and now she’s in London doing a play.

Her schedule will stay just as busy into the new year as she has more than 20 film and TV projects in the works.

Keep an eye out for her in “Pay to Die” with Robert Carradine and Bai Ling, and “Death Prayer” with Eric Roberts.

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The World Erotic Art Museum celebrated its landmark 20th anniversary as 900 guests packed the iconic South Beach institution for the opening of “Mark Kostabi: Revisited” featuring 14 erotic paintings exclusively created for the museum.

Flamboyant museum co-owner Ivan Wilzig hosted the evening, honoring the enduring legacy of his late mother, founder Naomi Wilzig.

Guests included millionaire financier Marc Bell, art scene legend Marcus Suarez and international curator Helmut Schuster.

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The social season further revved up this week in Palm Beach with the pre-party for the committee members of the annual Old Bags Luncheon at Renato’s Restaurant. 

The co-chairs of the event, Marzia Precoda and Lora Drasner, wowed in beautiful white dresses. 

The Old Bags Luncheon collects gently used designer handbags and sells them at a silent auction. The upcoming event, being held at The Breakers on Feb. 18, will be hosted by Priscilla Presley. 

Funds raised benefit the Center for Family Services of Palm Beach County.