9 January, 2025

Sean Coughlan Royal Correspondent Welcome to Royal Watch. It’s Meghanmania with the release of her new Netflix series approaching. The one thing that’s guaranteed is that the show will divide opinion. There was also news this week of the loss of her pet dog. It’s something many of us can relate to – but how should we mark those sad moments?  ‌ Prince William shared a new, black and white picture of Catherine to mark his wife’s birthday, as she turns 43 today. Plus, the royals are meant to stay out of politics, but it’s not always that straightforward. Sometimes they’ve found ways to share their views without using words. More on that to come.

With Love (or not), it’s Meghan The Duchess of Sussex’s new Netflix series has not even been released yet, and people already seem to have decided whether they’re going to love it or hate it. Just the trailer for With Love, Meghan was enough to trigger more than 1,000 news stories in the English-speaking press over the past week.

Meghan ran a lifestyle blog called The Tig before she met Harry. Credit: Netflix Netflix have given no advance copies, so there will be another media scramble when the show is released on 15 January. ‌ We live in a divided world where many people seem permanently in Angry Mode. And anything from Meghan seems to draw an intensely polarised response.  ‌ The show is an eight-part lifestyle series with cooking and baking – and for those allergic to her style, it could hardly have been less warmly welcomed. For her fans, though, this will be a huge bit of fun, with famous friends messing around in expensive kitchens. It looks like light entertainment, with some greetings-card philosophy thrown in – not memoirs of an ex-royal. ‌ The question will be how Meghan fares as a media celebrity and lifestyle guru without relying on her royal back story. Either way, Meghan gets people talking. And news outlets will no doubt hungrily report on whichever way the Montecito cookies crumble. ‌ Speaking of California, where raging wildfires are still burning, the BBC understands the duke and duchess are keeping a close eye on developments from their home some distance from the fires.

Slicing veggies, baking cakes - will Meghan's rebrand work?

Losing a companion Meghan also shared this week that her much-loved pet, Guy, had died. Pictures posted on social media showed Meghan and Prince Harry with their rescue dog, who she explained had previously received care from “supervet” Noel Fitzpatrick after an accident.  ‌ “Thank you for so many years of unconditional love,” she wrote on social media.

The duchess said she adopted the beagle from an animal rescue in Canada in 2015. Credit: Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Meghan said she was “devastated”. Last autumn, Queen Camilla made her own “sad farewell” to her dog, Beth. ‌ I remember when our own family dog died, a Springer Spaniel called Gracie, I felt almost guilty about how much I missed her; it seemed awkward talking about it with people facing much bigger, human problems. More on that in Your Royal Watch below.

Meghan 'devastated' after death of rescue dog

Your Royal Watch We asked last week where you think King Charles should visit in 2025 – and the most popular destination was Canada. ‌ Jim in Ontario said he’d once seen the late Queen Elizabeth II on a visit to the North American nation. “I hope to see King Charles in Canada before we both get too much older,” he wrote. ‌ Meg in British Columbia, Canada, wanted to know if Princess Anne might go to Canada too, after her planned trip in 2024 was postponed when she was injured by a horse. But Judi in Canada was worried that a visit from the King would be a “huge expense for the country that is receiving him”. ‌ Other suggestions included the US, China, Guyana, Belize and Mexico. ‌ For this week’s question: should stories about royals losing their pets - such as Meghan and Queen Camilla’s losses - count as news? Should we instead focus on human tragedies, or does the fact the loss of a pet clearly means a great deal to people make it a worthy story to tell? Please remember to include your name and the country you’re writing from. Send your thoughts to royalwatch@bbc.co.uk.