Pula: The special meaning behind the name of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's rescue dog

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry gave their adopted dog a name with sentimental meaning, it has been revealed in a new book.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex adopted a black Labrador in 2018, shortly after they got married, but never disclosed the name of the dog.

However, according to People, which cites an excerpt from the new book Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family by royal journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the dog’s name is Pula - which has a variety of special meanings for the couple.

According to the outlet, the couple decided on the name Pula because it is the official currency of Botswana, which is where Prince Harry first took Meghan when they started dating in 2016.

After celebrating the duchess’s 36th birthday in the country, the couple returned to Botswana a year later to work with Elephants Without Borders, a wildlife conservation initiative.

In addition to reminding the couple of the location of their third date and of their important conservation work, the name Pula also means “rain” in Setswana, the language spoken in the area, and is used to wish others well because rain is scarce and valuable in Botswana.

The name of the couple’s adopted dog has been revealed after Meghan previously said in 2018 that people kept “getting her name wrong” but did not elaborate on the moniker she and Harry had chosen.

At the time, it was inaccurately reported that the couple had named their new dog Oz.

Finding Freedom will be published in the US on 11 August.

Read more

Everything we've learned about Harry and Meghan from Finding Freedom