What will happen to Meghan and Harry’s dogs when they return to the UK? Duchess has already had to leave one beloved pet behind after moving from Toronto to London
With Prince Harry and Meghan planning to relocate to the United Kingdom alongside their two children, questions have emerged about whether their household pets will make the journey. The couple currently own a black labrador adopted following their 2018 wedding and a rescue beagle brought into the family in 2022, though confirmation of their participation in the move has not been provided.
This situation parallels a previous relocation in 2017, when Meghan moved from Canada to London without one of her dogs, reportedly because the animal was considered too old for overseas travel. Relocating animals into the UK involves mandatory health procedures including vaccinations, laboratory tests, and microchipping. Palace officials previously suggested that such decisions involve multiple complex factors, though specific details regarding earlier pet relocations were not disclosed.
- Prince Harry and Meghan are moving to the UK with their children; whether their two pet dogs will accompany them remains uncertain
- Meghan previously left a pet dog behind during her 2017 relocation from Toronto to London, reportedly due to age concerns
- UK pet relocation requires mandatory vaccinations, blood testing, and microchipping
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Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have lived in California since stepping back from royal duties in 2020, but are now said to be planning a move back to the UK with their two children, Archie and Lilibet. Alongside them are two dogs: a black labrador the couple got around the time of their 2018 wedding, and a rescue beagle they took in during 2022.
Bringing pets into the country is not simple, as animals typically need to meet UK entry rules covering vaccinations, blood tests and microchipping before they can travel. This has happened before: when Meghan first moved from Toronto to London in 2017 ahead of her wedding, she reportedly left one of her dogs behind because of concerns about its age and the strain of a long journey.
The question of what happens to the family's pets this time matters because it touches on the practical realities behind a high-profile relocation, beyond the public interest in the family itself.