Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan reportedly flew their two dogs to Canada ahead of their announcement that they were stepping down as senior royals.
The Daily Mail reports that the couple’s two dogs — a beagle named Guy and a black Labrador whose name has not been revealed — travelled to Canada with Harry, Meghan and their 7-month-old son, Archie, for their six-week Christmas break.
The paper reports that a black lab has been seen on the grounds of the luxury property that the family has been staying at on Vancouver Island.
The revelation that they relocated their pets comes days after the royal couple announced on Wednesday, January 8, that they plan to step back as senior royals and split their time between the U.K. and North America.
Moving their dogs, including Guy, who the Duchess of Sussex adopted when she was starring on Suits, is seen as a sign that the couple intend to spend more time in Canada.
Meghan also adopted a Lab-shepherd mix named Bogart when she was starring on the USA Network series but left him behind with friends in Canada when she moved to England to be with Harry ahead of their 2018 marriage.
The duchess, who became the patron of the British animal welfare charity Mayhew last January, previously said that her dogs “mean the absolute world” to her.
The Evening Standard reports that a spokeswoman for the couple declined to comment on whether the dogs had been flown out of England.
The couple were in the U.K when they made their bombshell announcement, which also included their declaration to become financially independent, but a day later Meghan, 38, flew back to Canada to reunite with Archie, who was being cared for by a nanny.
Harry, 35, has remained in England to sort out the details of his and Meghan’s new roles in discussions with his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, father Prince Charles and brother Prince William. “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement shortly after Meghan and Harry’s news broke on Wednesday.
A source told Us Weekly exclusively earlier this week that William, 37, “was blindsided by Harry and Meghan’s decision and statement.”
Harry admitted in a documentary in October 2019 that he and his sibling weren’t as close as they used to be, and the insider confirmed to Us that there’s “still a rift between the two brothers.”
“It’s sad because when they were younger, William would be the first person Harry would go to with big news like this,” the insider said, adding that William “is incredibly hurt, but at the same time he has his own family to focus on and is trying to move forward with his life.”
