Meghan Markle is opening up about the loss of her dear friend who passed away at the beginning of the year.
The Duchess of Sussex published a note on April 6 by the website of Mayhew—an animal welfare charity Meghan chose to support in 2019 as a royal patron—in honor of the death of Oli Juste.
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“On January 15, 2022, my beloved friend Oli tragically and very suddenly passed away,” Meghan wrote. “It has left me, and so many others, heartbroken and reflective—knowing that the legacy he leaves for our furry friends is beautifully simple: just love them.”
Throughout her letter, Meghan shared how Oli helped her cross paths with the organization when she was looking for places to volunteer almost four years ago.
“He knew that beyond their adoption and rescue programs, their international work to keep animals safe, and their local work to find abandoned pets homes, that I would be drawn to their deep love of community, which transcended the animals themselves, and extended to the people around them,” she said. “He was right.”
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Meghan and Oli bonded over their love of animals, and Oli also served as a companion to her own pup.
“In fact, it was Oli and his fiancé Rob who helped care for my rescue dog, Guy, when I had just moved to the UK and he was recovering from a debilitating accident,” Meghan recalled.
“They loved him as though he was their own.”
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And while Meghan’s three-year friendship with Mayhew came to a close at the beginning of this year. However, she noted that her support for their work has never wavered. Her message went on to share that Oli’s legacy will live on at Mayhew.
“In his memory, we will be creating the Oli Juste wing at Mayhew, to shelter the animals who may have a harder time finding their forever homes,” she said.
“Because much like Oli, they will never be forgotten, and they will always be loved.”
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