Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's close bond with Noel Fitzpatrick as dog Guy dies

Meghan Markle announced the death of her beagle Guy this week and she expressed gratitude to vet Noel Fitzpatrick in the post after he looked after her dog eight years ago

Meghan Markle has expressed her gratitude to veterinary surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick after announcing the death of her beagle Guy.

It was announced by Meghan, 43, on Tuesday that rescue dog Guy has passed away. She had adopted him in 2015 when she lived in Canada but he's said to have been injured around the time that she brought him over to the UK in 2017 following her engagement to Prince Harry, now 40.

Noel, now 57 - who is known for appearing on Channel 4's the Supervet - is said to have treated her canine companion at his clinic Fitzpatrick Referrals in Surrey. The vet is thought to have bonded with Meghan and Prince Harry at the time, with him invited to their wedding the following year.

Meghan expressed gratitude towards Noel in her statement announcing Guy's death on Instagram this week, whilst reflecting on her dog's life. She wrote: "He endured a terrible accident shortly before I moved to the UK which had him undergoing surgeries for several months and unable to leave the clinic. Doctors said he would never walk again, but Dr Noel Fitzpatrick said he could do it."

She continued: "H and I would drive late at night, after hours, to see Guy as he recovered in Surrey for months on end. I will always be grateful to Noel and his team, the team at Queen West Animal Hospital in TO, our vets now, and my friends and community: Thank you for loving him so."

Noel was invited to the couple's wedding in 2018 after forming a relationship with them, but he later revealed to the Daily Mail that he left early. He said that it was an "honour" to be a guest and that it felt "quite surreal".

He said: "I was thinking: 'What is a farmer's son doing here? What am I doing here?' It was a real case of imposter syndrome. I felt truly honoured, but anyway, I decided to leave." Noel added that he felt as though he didn't know "anybody".

Noel further told the outlet in 2020 that he felt "really lucky" to have been in attendance for the "magical" occassion and was "very happy" for the newlyweds. He however said it was "a bit overwhelming" and his shoes were "killing" him.

Elsewhere in her post, Meghan told fans following Guy's passing: "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."

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