Prince William and Kate Middleton, who married in April 2011 and share three children, have a special family member who holds a unique place in their hearts—and even in their bed!
During a visit to Duchy College in Cornwall on October 17, William revealed that their cocker spaniel, Orla, often sleeps in bed with him and Kate. A fan, Louise Harland, who was there with her dog, shared that William mentioned how Orla loves to sleep with them at night. William even admired her pet, commenting on how soft its ears were.
Orla, a gift from Kate’s younger brother, James Middleton, in 2020, made her first public appearance in a royal birthday portrait of Princess Charlotte in 2022. The name “Orla” holds royal significance, meaning “golden princess” in Celtic.
Orla joined the family shortly before their dog Lupo, another cocker spaniel, died in November 2020.
The family announced his death with a special tribute on social media. “He has been at the heart of our family for the past nine years and we will miss him so much,” they wrote at the time.
Since Orla joined the family, she has rarely been spotted, though she did tag along with the Prince and Princess of Wales to the Royal Charity Polo Cup last summer.
The pup isn’t the only family pet for the royals. Prince William revealed earlier this year during an appearance at Woodgate Valley Urban Farm, just outside Birmingham, that his three children also have a pet guinea pig that they sometimes forgot to clean. (Along with Princess Charlotte, William and Kate are also parents to Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, 6.)
“Prince William said he was so happy stroking Snowflake the guinea pig at Woodgate Valley Urban Farm … that he didn’t want to leave. He revealed that his kids always forget to clean out their own guinea pig, leaving him to do it,” The Telegraph reporter Victoria Ward shared at the time.
The pup isn’t the only family pet for the royals. Prince William revealed earlier this year during an appearance at Woodgate Valley Urban Farm, just outside Birmingham, that his three children also have a pet guinea pig that they sometimes forgot to clean. (Along with Princess Charlotte, William and Kate are also parents to Prince George, 11, and Prince Louis, 6.)
“Prince William said he was so happy stroking Snowflake the guinea pig at Woodgate Valley Urban Farm … that he didn’t want to leave. He revealed that his kids always forget to clean out their own guinea pig, leaving him to do it,” The Telegraph reporter Victoria Ward shared at the time.