Meghan Markle Shares Her Most Personal Instagram Post Yet—Including Rare Glimpses of Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet—After Their Beloved Dog Dies

"Thank you for so many years of unconditional love, my sweet Guy. You filled my life in ways you’ll never know."

Meghan Markle and guy the dog sitting in bed next to a computer and a photo of Meghan in a black dress and diamond necklace
(Image credit: Getty Images, Meghan Markle/Instagram)

Meghan Markle just returned to Instagram on New Year's Day, and unfortunately, the third post on her new @meghan account shared some sad family news. On Tuesday, Jan. 7, the Duchess of Sussex announced her beloved beagle, Guy, had died.

"In Memory of Guy," she captioned the Reel, which showed a number of personal photos and videos, including several featuring her children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

"In 2015, I adopted a beagle from a dog rescue in Canada," the duchess wrote. "He had been at a kill shelter in Kentucky and given a few days to live. I swooped him up….and fell in love. They referred to him as ‘the little guy’ because he was so small and frail, so I named him ‘Guy’. And he was the best guy any girl could have asked for."

The Duchess of Sussex continued that her early fans likely remember him as a regular fixture on her old Instagram account and now-defunct blog, The Tig. "He was with me at Suits, when I got engaged, (and then married), when I became a mom….he was with me for everything: the quiet, the chaos, the calm, the comfort," she wrote.

Meghan Markle Guy Tribute

A photo posted by on

In one scene from the Reel, Harry and Meghan sit on a floor cradling Guy, while the beagle sweetly touches noses with the duke in another shot. Prince Archie, 5, walks his buddy Guy on a leash with dad Harry in one scene from the video, and his little voice can be heard wondering if Guy was going to fall in the car in another scene, with Meghan reassuring him that the dog will be fine. The Reel finishes with Meghan and the children's voices singing, "We love you Guy, oh yes we do..."

Referring to her Netflix cooking and lifestyle series, With Love Meghan—which airs Jan. 15—the Duchess of Sussex wrote, "Because many of you will now see Guy in this new series, I hope you’ll come to understand why I am so devastated by his loss. I think you may fall a little bit in love too."

The back of Princess Lilibet (and her sweet long hair) is shown in one photo as Meghan sits on a picnic blanket with Guy and their other beagle, Mamma Mia. She also appears to show off her cozy brown kitchen (With Love, Meghan was filmed at a rental home) as she cooks jam in one scene with Guy sniffing away nearby.

The duchess added, "I have cried too many tears to count - the type of tears that make you get in the shower with the absurd hope that the running water on your face will somehow make you not feel them, or pretend they’re not there. But they are. And that’s okay too."

She ended her caption, "Thank you for so many years of unconditional love, my sweet Guy. You filled my life in ways you’ll never know ❤️‍🩹 As ever, Meghan."

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.