The story behind Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s dog Mamma Mia is a tragic one. Nicknamed Mia for short, the dog was adopted by the Sussexes among 4,000 other dogs that had been used for breeding at a pharmaceutical and biotech research facility in Virginia. The Humane Society said that the dogs’ conditions were horrific, and the center was found to be in violation of federal laws. As such, many want to know how the pup is doing at the home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Here’s more info about Mamma Mia, including its age and breed.
How old is Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s dog Mamma Mia?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s dog Mammia Mia is estimated to be nine to ten years old, as of March 13, 2025.
Mia was originally adopted in August as a seven-year-old pooch, as noted by ABC News. Harry and Meghan selected the dog from a Los Angeles animal rescue after it was saved from a facility called Envigo RMS LLC. Per the LA Times, Envigo was “the second-largest producer of dogs for medical research” and bred “roughly 25% of the beagles used in medical and drug research in the U.S.”
Shannon Keith, an animal rights attorney for the rescue, says that the Duchess specified that she didn’t “want a Christmas puppy,” but “one we can help who are older.” Before being taken to the royal couple’s seven-acre home in Montecito, California, Mia had given birth to eight puppies when she was still at the Virginia facility.
What is the breed of Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s dog Mamma Mia?
The breed of Mamma Mia, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s pet, is a beagle. That might be obvious since the rescue she was adopted from is called the Beagle Freedom Project.
A rare picture of Mia was shown as part of a Christmas card that Harry and Markle shared in 2024. (That said, it’s unclear if Mia is the beagle in the middle or on the right.)
Meghan Markle had adopted another beagle named Guy in 2015 from a dog rescue in Canada and brought it into the family when she moved to London to live with Harry. Sadly, Guy passed away in January 2025, with the Duchess giving the dog a heartfelt eulogy on Instagram.
Mia has been a part of the couple’s household along with their other pet, a black labrador called Pula.
