Prince Harry and Meghan Markle debut unseen family member in Christmas card

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle delighted fans on Monday when the couple shared their annual Christmas card, which featured an insight into their family life with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

While many fans will no doubt be focused on the young children, one of the snaps also features a family member who hadn’t been pictured before. Alongside the image of Archie and Lilibet running into their parents’ arms, the family’s rescue dog, Mamma Mia, can also be seen.

Harry and Meghan adopted their rescue pooch in August 2022, and she joined fellow beagle Guy and a black Labrador thought to be named Pula at their family home in Montecito, California.

The pooch was adopted from the Beagle Freedom Project, an organisation that rescues and rehomes animals used in experimental research.

Months after the adoption, the rescue charity posted: “Recently, we received a call from Meghan & Harry inquiring about adopting from us! Their adoption has brought such light to our mission and for that we are so grateful. Sending our deepest condolences to the family on the loss of Queen Elizabeth II.”

Speaking about Mamma Mia’s rescue, Shannon Keith, an animal rights lawyer who runs the Beagle Freedom Project told KTTV: “Mamma Mia ran to [Harry and Meghan] and we had never seen her do that with anyone before. She just knew that this was her people. Prince Harry sat on the couch, and she ran to him and put her paws on his knees. Her tail was wagging a million miles a minute.”

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Animal-lover Meghan has adopted several rescue dogs over the past few years and brought her rescue beagle Guy to the UK when she married Harry. The former actress chose animal welfare charity Mayhew as one of her first patronages.

In their engagement interview in 2017, Harry revealed the late Queen’s corgis took to Meghan “straight away,” joking: “I’ve spent the last 33 years being barked at; this one walks in, absolutely nothing… just wagging tails and I was just like, ‘argh’.”

The couple’s love of animals has been passed down to their children and in the pair’s docuseries, Harry & Meghan, Archie could be seen walking Guy in a sweet moment.