While most of the world is still in shock over Meghan Markle and Prince Harry‘s decision to step down as senior members of the royal family, it turns out one of the Duchess’s dogs may have been a big hint the announcement was coming.
This week, Markle and Prince Harry announced they will opt out of some of their royal duties and plan to partially relocate to North America—most likely Canada—where they will work to become financially independent.
“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen,” the couple wrote on Instagram.
This announcement came amidst the couple’s holiday in Canada, where per E! News, it was reported the two were spotted taking a hike with Suits star Abigail Spencer and two dogs.
Though it seemed like an innocent story at the time, this is where Markle’s pets come into play. One of the dogs on the hike was reportedly Guy, the beagle Markle adopted from a rescue shelter, and the other was identified as Bogart, the pup who could no longer travel because of his old age. (He was left behind in Canada with friends after she married Prince Harry as to not force him to make the long journey to the U.K.)
Now, this is where things get interesting. According to People, Guy suffered an injury following his arrival in the U.K. in 2017. He reportedly broke two of his legs at the time and Markle was “distraught” and “very upset” by what happened.
This begs the question: Why would Markle haven taken him on a 10-hour flight back to Canada just for a six-week vacation? For some, the answer is quite simple. Markle and Prince Harry were already in the process of making their move across the pond way before they announced it, so they were taking the necessary steps to relocate their dogs.
Royal correspondent Rebecca English told The Daily Mail that “insiders confirmed that the dogs staying in Canada ‘was the biggest clue, in hindsight, that they were unlikely to come back from this so-called holiday’.”
“Both the Duke and Duchess adore their dogs and Guy has already been relocated from Canada to London once when Meghan moved over,” the Daily Mail‘s source added. “She wouldn’t have considered a move again for him if it wasn’t going to be at least semi-permanent.”
As they said in their statement, the two intend to “balance [their] time between the United Kingdom and North America” where they plan to raise their son “with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter.”
It’s been reported that Markle is already back in Canada with baby Archie and her dogs. As for Prince Harry, he’ll reportedly join his wife and son in two weeks after he sorts everything out with his family in the U.K.
