The Prince and Princess of Wales and their children may have spent the holidays with a new pet

Prince William and Kate Middleton with their children on Dec. 5, 2025.Credit : Chris Jackson/Getty

Kate Middleton and Prince William may have celebrated the holidays with a new family member.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, are speculated to have a new pet after the family was recently spotted with two dogs. Their cocker spaniel, Orla, welcomed a litter of puppies last year, and it’s believed that they kept one of the litter.

Rebecca English of The Daily Mail previously reported that welcoming the puppies was “something fun” for the Prince and Princess of Wales’ three children — Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 — and that they were planning to keep one of the dogs.

William and Kate officially confirmed the arrival of Orla’s litter with a photo released on June 21 to celebrate the Prince of Wales’ birthday. The snap, which showed Prince William sitting on the grass with three puppies around his lap, was signed: “Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies!”

Kate Middleton and Prince William with their dog Orla in 2022.Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Orla joined the Prince and Princess of Wales’ family in 2020, a gift from Kate’s brother, James Middleton, after his dog Luna welcomed a litter of six puppies.

Shortly after Orla’s arrival, Kate and William mourned the death of their dog Lupo, another black cocker spaniel that they received from James. James wrote in his memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, that Lupo was a “belated wedding present” for his sister and brother-in-law, who married in April 2011.

In 2018, the royal couple opened up about the important role that Lupo played in their lives during a difficult time.

Natalie Bressani, who met the couple at a Christmas party at Kensington Palace for military families, said, “When Prince William was away in the Falkland Islands, he went for dinner with some good friends of ours in the Air Force, and he was saying how difficult it was for Kate because he was leaving for six weeks. It was when they’d just got the spaniel to help her with the time apart. She appreciates what wives and families go through.”

Kate Middleton and Prince William with their dog Orla in 2022.Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Orla has joined the family for outdoor outings such as charity polo matches, and the pup also appeared in Princess Charlotte’s birthday portraits in two different years.