The Prince and Princess of Wales have revealed the name of their adorable puppy as they celebrated his first birthday today. Sharing a snap of the brown cocker spaniel taken by Kate, they wrote: 'Welcome to the family, Otto! 1 today.'
New Addition to the Royal Family
Their sweet pooch, who is the son of their older dog Orla, also featured in the sunny family portrait shared by the royals earlier this week, as they celebrated 15 years of marriage. In a picture of William and Kate lying barefoot in the grass with their three children, the future King stroked Orla while little Otto roamed curiously around behind him.
Social media users gushed over the 'cute' puppy in the comments section, with one person writing: 'You've been welcomed into the most beautiful family'. 'You are royalty now,' another quipped, while a third wrote: 'He's in safe hands.'
Confirmation of the New Puppy
Earlier this year in February, Kate confirmed that she and William had welcomed a new, furry addition during a trip to Wales. The royal lit up as she met English cocker spaniel Barney during the visit to the family-owned Hiut Denim. It was during this encounter that she confirmed they had also recently welcomed a dog of the same breed into their family, Hello reported. 'So we've got a little puppy,' she gushed. 'He's only eight months, and Orla's five.'
The latest addition may be one of Orla's, who gave birth to quadruplets in May. Cocker spaniel Orla joined the Wales family in 2020 as a gift from Kate's brother James Middleton, who is well known for breeding dogs.
Family's Love for Dogs
The Waleses are thought to have welcomed gorgeous pooch Orla in 2020, in the same year that their former family dog, Lupo, died. A source at the time told The Mail on Sunday that the whole family were 'besotted' with their new pup. 'They were devastated when Lupo passed away,' the friend added. 'It was hoped that a younger dog would give Lupo some company and give him a little more life and energy.'
The cocker spaniel was the puppy of James Middleton's dog, Ella. The younger sibling of Kate is known for his passion for pups and currently owns six dogs. James is patron of several dog-related charities, founder of a dog food brand and the author of a book about one of his late dogs, titled Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.
Orla's Role in the Family
Since adopting the cocker spaniel, Orla has been a devoted friend to the couple's children and was even included in their daughter's birthday portraits in 2022 and 2023. Orla also appeared on the Royal Family's social media channels for National Pet Day last year. A photograph of the black cocker spaniel was shared online with the caption: 'Celebrating the animals who bring so much joy, companionship and love to our lives'. Orla also featured in the family's heartfelt Mother's Day video last year, in which Prince William traipses through long grass barefoot with both pooches in tow, as they excitedly jump up on his leg, while wagging their tails.
