Meghan Markle's 'back in Britain' post missed out someone rather important from the Sussex family line-up
The Duchess shared a video of them exploring their new area and whilst one pet was front and centre, another didn't appear
The Sussexes are settling into their new life in the UK by lighting crackling wood fires and enjoying plenty of time in the great outdoors - even if the weather isn't quite what they were used to in California. Duchess Meghan gave a brief glimpse at how things are going with a new video that featured almost the whole family.
We saw Archie running towards a herd of deer whilst Lilibet rode her bike and Harry teaching the kids how to fish on a lake. In almost every clip the Sussexes' black Labrador Pula got involved in the action and was clearly loving the countryside.
However, Pula's excitement highlighted that there was someone else missing - Mamma Mia AKA Mia, their beloved rescue beagle.
Prince Harry and Meghan adopted Mia in 2022 and according to a report by People, she was also coming to live in the UK when they moved. We've seen a lot of Mia on social media in recent years, including on the As Ever brand Instagram account.
So it's interesting that we didn't see the beagle in the Duchess's new round-up post, though perhaps since she's a more senior dog she was lagging a little behind or was being looked after by friends while they went on a longer walk.
It's still a little sad that Mia didn't feature at all, though, whilst Pula was there every step of the way. The Labrador has already made two transatlantic trips before, having moved with Meghan when she first came to the UK and then again with the family when they relocated to the US.
He looks like he's happy to be back and Harry once described Pula and Mia (as well as Meghan's late beagle Guy) as being a bit of a handful, but great emotional support in times of need.
"I've got three in this house now, so we basically have five children," he said on a call with the winners of the WellChild Awards in 2022. "Between the three of them, they charge around chasing squirrels and causing all sorts of problems to us every single day. But they are also emotional support dogs, 100%, when they're behaving."
Harry grew up in a family who's equally passionate about their pets and Labradors are a lesser-known royal favourite. King Charles used to own a golden Labrador called Harvey and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have two black labs called Teal and Teasel.
But these pets aren't nearly as famous as the late Queen Elizabeth's corgis or the Wales family's spaniels. In the Sussexes' engagement interview Harry claimed the corgis took to Meghan at once whereas he'd "spent the last 33 years being barked at" by his granny's canine companions.
Bringing their own dogs to the UK with them shows how important Pula and Mia are as part of the family and this will likely have helped create a sense of normality for Archie and Lilibet who are starting over in a new place at new schools. It's a lot for them and they've already had to say goodbye to their chickens who are being looked after back at their California home.
The children have clearly been getting out and exploring their new area with Harry and Meghan and perhaps Mia the beagle will get a cameo on the Duchess's social media in the coming weeks too to show how she's settling in.
