Meghan Markle appeared in London via video link to open a new wing of an animal charity named in honour of her late friend Oli Juste – with the announcement of her virtual visit made via her and Harry’s glossy new Sussex.com website.
The Duchess of Sussex emotionally told how dog trainer Mr Juste’s sudden death in January 2022 left her heartbroken as his friends and family gathered at the Mayhew in the north-west of the capital, where the Oli Juste wing was unveiled in his name.
A photo shared on Harry and Meghan’s new website – the subject of controversy because of the prominence of its royal branding – showed a beaming Duchess in a beige coat crouching down and petting a dog.
Her video message for the charity came just days after Harry reportedly told friends he wanted to step back into royal roles to support his father, King Charles III, while he undergoes treatment for cancer.
The Duke of Sussex, who is fifth in line to the throne, remains a counsellor of state but quit frontline royal life four years ago; he is not thought to be in consideration for any return to senior duties, according to experts.
The duchess gave an emotional video message as she opened the new wing named in memory of her friend
Meghan Markle has today paid a touching tribute to her late ‘beloved friend’ Oli Juste
The Duchess of Sussex meeting a Jack Russell called Minnie during a visit to Mayhew in 2019
A statement on Meghan’s sussex.com website recounted the duchess’ bond with Oli Juste
Meghan Markle has paid a touching tribute to her late ‘beloved friend’ dog-trainer Oli Juste as she opened a new wing of a London animal charity
Meghan had been patron of The Mayhew, said to be her favourite animal charity, since 2019, holding the role in a private capacity after being introduced to it by friend Mr Juste.
But she stepped down from the role in 2022, one year after she and Harry moved to California.
In the video message watched by Mr Juste’s friends and family, Meghan said: ‘A heartfelt thank you to the wonderful team at Mayhew who have worked tirelessly to bring this dream to life.
‘It was so important to find a way to celebrate Oli’s memory in a manner that he would have loved.
‘Mayhew is a beacon of hope for those in need and a shining example of what can be achieved when we work together.’
A statement on Sussex.com recounted the duchess’ bond with Mr Juste, saying: ‘They shared many things throughout their friendship, among which was a deep commitment to animal welfare and a love of rescue dogs.’
It added: ‘The Oli Juste Wing is a testament to his unwavering love and commitment to our furry friends, and will improve the lives of countless animals, reminding us all of the power of compassion, connection, and care.’
The duchess has adopted a number of rescue dogs over the years including Guy, a beagle, and a black Labrador called Pula.
Mr Juste and his fiance Rob helped care for Guy when Meghan moved to the UK and the dog was recovering from an accident. Meghan wrote in 2022 that she was left ‘heartbroken’ by Mr Juste’s death.
The charity said the new wing of refurbished kennels, which will provide warm shelters for dogs being treated, was made possible thanks to a ‘generous’ donation by Meghan.
Sherine Wheeler, chief executive of Mayhew, said: ‘We are so delighted to celebrate and honour Oli’s life in this way, we are so grateful for his friendship and contribution to Mayhew.
‘He combined his expertise as a renowned dog trainer with a passion for animal welfare to make a huge difference for rescue dogs.’
The star-studded opening was attended by celebrities such as Strictly’s Nigel Harman and actress Rula Lenska.
Mr Juste, who appeared on Channel 4’s Puppy School, died in Chichester hospital in 2022 surrounded by his fiance Rob and his mother Jenny, and his siblings Helene and Michel.
Rob posted a touching tribute on Mr Juste’s Instagram page announcing his death at the time in which he said their beloved dog Bernard was also able to say goodbye.
‘Even though I find it hard to fathom what has happened, I take solace in the fact that, up to his last breath and beyond, Oli was and is helping people by being an organ donor, so there is the possibility of helping people beyond the end of his life,’ he wrote.
Meghan spoke at the time of her heartbreak following the animal behaviourist’s death, who had introduced her to the charity in 2019.
Mayhew describes itself as ‘an animal welfare charity working to improve life for dogs, cats and the people in our community – at our home in London and internationally.’
Meghan during a visit to the animal welfare charity Mayhew in London on January 16, 2019
The Duchess of Sussex holding a Jack Russell called Minnie during a visit to Mayhew in 2019
Meghan meeting a Jack Russell named ‘Maggi’ during a visit to the animal welfare charity in 2019
The remote charity appearance comes days after Prince Harry was reported to have expressed an interest in returning to the royal fold in order to help his father, King Charles III, while the monarch is treated for cancer.
Buckingham Palace announced that His Majesty was undergoing treatment for an unspecified form of the disease on Monday February 5; it had been discovered while the King was undergoing treatment for an enlarged prostate.
A day later, Harry flew to the UK for a very short visit with his father, who continues to carry out his constitutional duties but has stepped back from public appearances.
Since then, reports suggest the Duke of Sussex has expressed an interest among friends to take up a temporary role as a senior royal while his father continues to receive medical care.
Last Friday, The Times reported that Harry and Charles had shared several ‘warm exchanges’ following the King’s diagnosis and his 30-minute visit to Clarence House.
A source told the paper: ‘On all practical levels it makes perfect sense for the family to come together to support the King while he’s sick.
‘Much has been said on both sides in recent years, but that has never diminished the fundamental bond of blood, and there are now pragmatic aspects to consider, with the King and Kate’s wellbeing paramount in this.
‘The details of the Clarence House meeting and subsequent conversations are private, but the feeling is that this arrangement could work.’
But royal experts believe that an invite from the palace will not be immediately forthcoming – given previous disparaging comments made by the Duke in a series of interviews and throughout his memoir, Spare.
In the contentious autobiography, he had claimed his brother Prince William had grabbed him by the collar and thrown him to the floor in a physical fight in 2019; the book also labelled mother-in-law Queen Camilla ‘dangerous’ and a ‘villain’.
And the couple’s controversial Oprah interview in March 2021 – in which they claimed members of the family had questioned ‘how dark’ their son Archie’s skin would be when he was born – did little to temper relations across the Atlantic.
Dickie Arbiter, Queen Elizabeth II’s former press secretary, told MailOnline that any expectation of welcoming Harry back into the fold was ‘a big ask’ after his previous comments and allegations.
He said: ‘He (Harry) has rubbished them for four years. I don’t see a forthcoming invitation from the family (to come back). You have got to remember the late Queen made it very clear either you are in or you are out.
‘Making these sort of olive branch offers to come in and help the family, there’s still the question of his commercial obligations – they won’t go away. It goes right against the grain of what the late Queen said.
‘Suggesting coming back would inevitably mean public appearances – but there is the question of whether the British public would want to see him.
‘We must remember he did the interview when Prince Philip was very sick and the Queen was suffering from mobility issues, and getting frailer by the day – all this was happening while Harry and Megan were doing their thing rubbishing the family.
‘We had one hour of Oprah, six hours of Netflix and over 400 pages of Harry’s book, Spare. Are we asking the royal family to turn the other cheek? That’s a big ask.’
The Duke of Sussex told Good Morning America earlier this month the King’s cancer diagnosis could have a ‘reunifying effect’ on the royal family
Charles, 75, has taken a step back from public royal duties following his cancer diagnosis, which was announced earlier this month
But fractures have opened between the family in recent years following ‘Megxit’ – when the Duke and Duchess stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and a series of controversial interviews and accounts as dictated in Harry’s autobiography, Spare
In Spare, Harry called his mother-in-law, Queen Camilla, ‘dangerous’ and a ‘villain’ in his memoir and alleged she had ‘sacrificed him’ to improve her reputation
Harry has recently made positive comments in American media interviews following the launch of the 2025 Invictus Games in Whistler, Vancouver in Canada.
He told Good Morning America (GMA) his father’s illness could have a ‘reunifying effect’ on the family, adding: ‘I love my family’.
But Mr Arbiter said attempts at reconciliation may have come too late.
‘I can’t see it going anywhere. Harry did suggest in the (GMA) interview it could result in a reconciliation, but it is not much different to the comment he made almost two years ago when he dropped in on the Queen and told the Today show (on NBC) he was just making sure she was protected and had the right people around her.
‘He is good at the soundbite but this whole Whistler trip seems like a great big PR fest off the back of launching their website.
‘He has said too many things, like the fact he had thought about American citizenship – and that means you have to drop everything and became a plain “Mister”.
‘And let us not forget – the King is still working and undertaking his constitutional duty. What he is not doing is going out on the road, which he will be very sorry about because he likes to meet people.
‘He has not stopped doing anything. The wheels of monarchy will continue to turn and they have continued to turn without Harry.’
Royal expert Hugo Vickers also told MailOnline that ‘neither side’ wants Harry and Meghan back in the UK, despite the Duke’s ‘olive branch’ comments.
‘I personally, actually don’t think that there’s any wish on anyone’s side for him to come home at the moment, and take up royal duties again,’ Mr Vickers said.
‘He can’t suddenly pick up royal duties again, under the present circumstances, it’s quite a long way [away]. It’s always possible to reconcile. It’s always possible for things to be sorted out, but not that quickly. So no, is the answer.’
Earlier this month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched their new Sussex.com website as part of a royal rebrand after purchasing a domain name for an undisclosed fee from tech entrepreneur Neil Agate.
Mr Agate, who is from Sussex but lives in the US, created the name in 1995 and had held onto it for almost 30 years.
Harry and Meghan are understood to have used a broker who did not reveal the Sussexes’ identities when they purchased the domain name without arguing the price.
The domain was registered on February 4 – nine days before Harry and Meghan relaunched on Sussex.com.
Mr Agate, who lives in Maryland, shared a photo of the new website on Wednesday and wrote: ‘Congratulations to the Duke & Duchess of Sussex on the purchase of Sussex.com for your new website.
‘The domain served me well for 30 years & especially glad it’s still owned by a British polo player.’
The Sussexes’ rebrand, which comes after they stopped using their SussexRoyal.com website in 2020, features a large photograph of the couple on the home page and two profiles, one for Prince Harry, 39, and another for Meghan, 42.
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