Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have welcomed a new addition to their family, and no, it’s not a baby. The news of a pregnancy while the ink was still yet to dry on her marriage license would be nigh scandalous to many. No, the new family member joining the love-struck royals is a dog.
As The Daily Star reports, a royal insider close to the couple says the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have welcomed a pup into the fold — a labrador, to be specific.
The source says the new pooch is settling into life as a Royal mascot, and like his human stewards, splits his time between the couple’s cottage at Kensington Palace and their country home in the Cotswolds.
“The dog is already happily ensconced at their cottage. Like the Sussexes, the dog will divide its time between the palace and their country home in the Cotswolds.”
It’s not known, as of this writing, if Meghan and Harry purchased the new dog from a breeder or if he was a rescue. The Daily Mail notes that Harry’s stepmother, the Duchess of Cornwall —– that is, Charles’ wife Camilla Parker-Bowles — is the Royal Patron of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.
The sex of the canine companion is also unknown, as is whether he or she was a puppy or an adult when the couple adopted them. The name of the dog is yet to be revealed as well — though this writer suggests “Barkle Markle”.
Meghan already had two dogs before she said “I do” to the Prince. Her rescue beagle, Guy, moved with her from Canada to England and is now part of the family. However, her older dog, a labrador-Shepherd mix named Bogart, was deemed too old to make the flight from Canada and to settle into a new country, so he’s been re-homed with friends of Meghan back on this side of the pond.
Nice story by @richardaeden that #MeghanMarkle & #PrinceHarry may have gotten another dog, a lab joining beagle Guy. She previously had two dogs, a Labrador mix Bogart. William and Harry had a lab as kids. KP not commenting ? Getty/ MM Instagram #DukeofSussex #DuchessofSussex pic.twitter.com/wipyBkHCKu
— Carolyn Durand (@CarolynDurand) August 25, 2018
Canine companions and their relationship to the Windsors have long been a topic of discussion. Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, is known to be quite fond of her Welsh Corgis, and according to this Inquisitr report, they even have their own butlers. Apparently the Queen’s corgis know a dog person when they see one, as reports say that they “absolutely adore” their new friend Meghan.
As for when Meghan and Harry will work on a human addition to their family: don’t count on it any time soon. The Royal Family is all about propriety, appearance, and tradition — which means that they’ll likely wait a year or so before thinking about having children.
