Meghan Markle, who married Prince Harry on 19 May this year, makes no secret of her love for dogs.
On her now-deleted Instagram account, she often posted about her two rescue dogs, Guy and Bogart, whom she described as “my boys” and “my loves”.
She made the ultimate sacrifice when she was compelled to leave one of her dogs, Bogart, with friends near her home in Toronto when she came to live with Harry last year in London.
However, Harry – who has never previously owned a dog of his own – and Meghan have reported bought a labrador for their shared home – a similar breed to Bogart, who is a labrador-shepherd cross.
“The dog is already happily ensconced at their cottage,” a source revealed in an interview with the Daily Mail.
“Like the Sussexes, the dog will divide its time between the palace and their country home in the Cotswolds.”
The dog will likely join Meghan’s other dog, a beagle called Guy, who unlike Bogart was deemed fit to fly to the UK.
Speaking to the BBC after her engagement to Prince Harry, Meghan explained that she had separated the two dogs, who lived with her in Toronto for six years.
“One [dog] is now staying with very close friends and my other, little Guy, he’s in the UK, he’s been here for a while.”
Speaking about how Guy had adapted to living in the UK, he said: “I think he’s doing just fine.”
These aren’t the only dogs living at Kensington, however. The Queen has famously kept corgis for years.
In the same BBC engagement interview, Prince Harry described how the dogs took an immediate shine to Meghan when she first had tea with the Queen.
Addressing his then fianceé, he said: “The corgis took to you straight away. For the last 33 years, I’ve been barked at, and this one walks in, absolutely nothing, just wagging tails.”
“Just laying on my feet during tea, it was very sweet,” Meghan added.
Meghan may have been reunited with her dog Bogart when she visited Toronto earlier this summer.
She reportedly jetted back to Canada to enjoy some downtime, spending time in Toronto.
The visit marked Meghan’s first trip abroad without Prince Harry since becoming the Duchess of Sussex in May.
Meghan lived in Toronto for six years before moving to London last year, filming all seven series of Suits in the city.
According to The Mirror, the Duchess flew to Toronto via Air Canada without her husband by her side.
The airline was reportedly asked to protect Meghan’s privacy during the eight-hour flight, with The Mirror citing news hub Royal Central as its source.
Who is Meghan Markle? Quick profile
Meghan Markle was born Rachel Meghan Markle, on August 4, 1981 to parents Doria Ragland and father Thomas Markle.
Her father was previously married to Roslyn Loveless and Meghan has two elder half sibling – sister Samantha Markle and brother Thomas Markle Junior.
Actress
Meghan’s first television appearance in the USA was in an episode of the medical drama General Hospital in 2002.
She later moved on to roles in CSI, Without a Trace and Castle along with bit parts in Hollywood films including Get Him to the Greek, Remember Me and Horrible Bosses.
Meghan was also a “briefcase girl” on Deal or No Deal – but her most famous role was as Rachel Zane in legal drama Suits, which launched in 2011.
She was written out in the finale of the seventh series when her character got married, which aired in April 2018 – just before she got married herself.
Charity and humanitarian work
Meghan Markle’s career in television has gone hand-in-hand with her support for causes close to her heart.
She wrote about the stigma around menstrual health in an article for Time magazine and was a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada – with whom she travelled to Rwanda for the charity’s Clean Water Campaign.
And her commitment to gender equality has seen her work with the United Nations – receiving a standing ovation in 2015 for her speech to mark International Women’s Day.
Relationships
In September 2011, she wed film producer Trevor Engelson, who she began dating in 2004.
But the pair divorced two years later in August 2013, citing irreconcilable difference.
She was in a relationship with celebrity chef Cory Vitiello for almost two years, before they broke it off in 2016 but the two remain good friends.
And in June 2016, she met Prince Harry on a blind date set up by a mutual friend.
Their relationship began in October that year and just over one year later, on November 27, 2017, the pair announced their engagement.
They married on May 19, 2018 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
Meghan’s heritage
Some have claimed Meghan Markle is the first mixed-race member of the Royal Family.
Historians are still arguing about Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III.
But Meghan will be the first royal to openly embrace a mixed-race heritage.
She has written about the difficulties of being a biracial actress in Hollywood as she claims she is not black enough for some roles and not white enough for others.