Meghan Markle suffers huge loss ahead of new Netflix series

Just days before her controversial new show airs, Meghan Markle has shared a tragic update about a beloved family member.

Meghan Markle has suffered a “devastating loss” just days before her controversial new Netflix series premieres.

The heartbroken Duchess of Sussex told followers that her beloved adopted beagle, Guy, who features in her upcoming series With Love, Meghan, had died.

Sussex fans are familiar with the cute pooch, who Meghan rescued from a dog shelter in Vancouver during her days as an actress in the TV show Suits.

In an emotional post on Instagram, Meghan revealed the extent of her loss.

Meghan Markle's dog Guy has died. Picture: Instagram

Meghan told how Guy had suffered a terrible accident. before her move to the UK. Picture: Instagram

She wrote: “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. 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.”

Meghan shared images and footage of Guy with Prince Harry and children Prince Archie and Lilibet in her tribute.

She said Guy had been with her from her pre-Prince Harry days as an actress, her days as a lifestyle blogger with The Tig, through her marriage and journey into motherhood.

Meghan’s dog features in her upcoming show, With Love, Meghan. Picture: Netflix

The pooch was treated by Dr Noel Fizpatrick, the Irish vet who came to prominence on the TV show The Supervet, after enduring “a terrible accident” before Meghan’s move to the UK.

She and Prince Harry would drive late at night to visit the beloved dog at the celebrity vet’s clinic in Surrey, she said.

Meghan posted: “In 2015, I adopted a beagle from a dog rescue in Canada. 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.

“If you followed me on Instagram back in the day, you saw a lot of him – and on The Tig too. 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.

“If you followed me on Instagram back in the day, you saw a lot of him – and on The Tig too. 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 said. 

MEGHAN MARKLE TO PLUG BRAND ON SHOW

Meghan Markle will hawk her lifestyle brand’s products directly to viewers with the help of Netflix.

The Duchess of Sussexdebuted American Riviera Orchard last March with a soft launch on social media that included her gifting jars of homemade jam to high-profile friends such as Mindy Kaling, Chrissy Teigen and Kris Jenner.

But there have been many questions about who exactly is running the brand, who is funding it and what products it will include.

A source previously told The New York Post’s Page Six that, despite rumours to the contrary, Markle is indeed the CEO of her lifestyle brand.

Several sources have now told Page Six that Netflix also has a role in distributing products that will tie in with Markle’s new lifestyle show, With Love, Meghan, which launches January 15 on the streamer.

With Love, Meghan will spruik Meghan Markle’s lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard on Netflix. Picture: Netflix

It’s not the first time the streaming giant has released products alongside its content.

When Netflix and Cupcake Vineyards launched a limited-edition Chardonnay called “Love Is Wine” last February — a companion piece for its reality TV hit “Love is Blind” — the wine sold out online within a matter of days. According to TMZ, Netflix also submitted a trademark application for the phrase “Love is Wine” on cake moulds, glassware, napkin holders, plates, tea infusers, flasks and several types of drinking glasses.

“The more that Netflix is getting into live events, the more this kind of thing makes sense for their future,” a Hollywood source told Page Six.

Netflix began offering an ad-supported subscription tier in November 2022 and, the source added, “They’re working with advertisers now, which gives them more opportunity to have mutually beneficial partnerships like this.”

Meghan Markle with renowned chef Alice Waters who pioneered the farm-to-table movement and California cuisine. Picture: Netflix

A rep for the Sussexes declined to comment. Page Six has reached out to Netflix for comment.

Markle has already filed trademark applications for her brand to cover an array of home goods, including tableware, kitchen linens, beverageware, coffee and tea services and more. Also listed were jellies, jams, marmalades, fruit preserves and a variety of spreads and butters, along with body soap, body oil, cosmetics and pet shampoo.

The application also covers stationery, linens, small kitchen appliances, yoga equipment and gardening gear.

But Markle has faced a slew of trademark troubles since announcing the brand’s impending launch, including rival lifestyle brand Harry & David filing a letter of protest, claiming the name American Riviera Orchard is too similar to its Royal Riviera product line.

And in September, Markle’s trademark application was refused by the USPTO, who warned that businesses cannot trademark geographical locations.

Meghan Markle entertains comedian Mindy Kaling in episode of With Love, Meghan. Picture: Netflix

American Riviera is a nod to Santa Barbara, where she lives with Prince Harry and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Reps for Markle have previously said such stumbling blocks were to be expected.

In November, it was revealed that Markle has asked the US Patent and Trademark Office for a three-month extension to launch American Riviera Orchard.

The first glimpse of With Love, Meghan dropped last week and featured Markle showing off her cooking and gardening skills in a designer outfit with appearances from her celebrity friends including Mindy Kaling, chef Roy Choi, Alice Waters and her “Suits” co-star and BFF Abigail Spencer.

“I’ve always loved taking something pretty ordinary and elevating it,” Markle says in the video, which shows her working in a kitchen while the Lovin’ Spoonful’s Do You Believe in Magic plays in the background. “Surprising people with moments that let them know I was really thinking of them.”

Meghan Markle in the kitchen with chef Roy Choi in an episode of With Love, Meghan on Netflix. Choi co-hosts The Chef Show on Netflix. Picture: Netflix

Given a piece of cake, Kaling says, “This is probably one of the most glamorous moments of my life.”

An industry insider told us that Markle had been busy working on her “entrepreneurial” efforts.

Page Six first revealed how Markle aims to follow in the footsteps of lifestyle doyenne Martha Stewart with her Netflix show, and clips promoting her brand have shown her in the kitchen of a stunning Montecito estate.

She filmed her show — which celebrates “the joys of cooking, gardening, entertaining and friendship,” according to Netflix — around California and at the sprawling home of Tom and Sherrie Cipolla, philanthropists who are both fixtures on the Montecito society scene.

Markle shared the show’s trailer on her new Instagram page, writing, “I have been so excited to share this with you! I hope you love the show as much as I loved making it. Wishing you all a fantastic new year! Thanks to our amazing crew and the team @netflix. Beyond grateful for the support – and fun!”

Directed by Michael Steed, “With Love, Meghan” premieres January 15 with eight episodes, each 33 minutes long. Markle and Harry, 40, produced the series via their Archewell Productions company.

This is Markle’s first solo hosting project with Netflix after she and Harry signed a multimillion-dollar deal with the streamer in 2020.

In 2022, the Sussexes came out with their five-part “Harry & Meghan” docu-series, which followed their new life in California.

The project was closely followed by “Heart of Invictus,” a documentary following athletes preparing for the Harry-founded Invictus Games and, most recently, the “Polo” docu-series.

This story was first published in the New York Post

Originally published as Meghan Markle suffers huge loss ahead of new Netflix series