And what a delight to see – in these photos taken by the Duchess of Cambridge celebrating her daughter’s seventh birthday today – the adored new family pet for the first time. Until now, Prince William and Kate have kept the identity of their new puppy a secret. But the Daily Mail may reveal that the little spaniel is called Orla. The three photos of Kate with her lively daughter – a princess who loves ballet but can also make her brother George run for his money on the football field – capture her natural joy. Princess Charlotte, who turns seven on May 2, was photographed with her pet dog – whose name has just been revealed as Orla The young princess was sitting in the spring bluebells of Norfolk, at the Anmer Hall family cottage. Charlotte sat happily in front of the camera as Kate’s mother took a selection of photos in the garden of their family home in Norfolk Princess Charlotte released a photo of herself every year for her birthday (she photographed her first birthday, left and her second birthday, right) Laughing at the camera, Charlotte wears a blouse and a pair of blue designs and holds in her hand a pose with freshly cut daisies. In person, the fourth in a row for the throne looks strikingly like her older brother George – but with her mother’s dark hair and green eyes. The photos were taken at the Anmer Hall family cottage at the weekend, where little Orla was with them. She was given to the family in the summer of 2020 by the Duchess’s brother, James Middleton. It turned out to be a great source of consolation when they lost Lupo, their first black spaniel, in November 2020. Kate and William have loved Loupe since they acquired him as a puppy in 2012 – a year after their marriage. However, they were so jealous of his privacy that they refused to confirm his identity at first, let alone reveal his name, until Kate let him slip into an incident called “Puppygate”. While Lupo was Italian for “wolf”, Orla – whose name has also been kept secret for two years – is Celtic in origin and means “golden princess”. It is not known why the couple chose it, but later said they liked the name Lupo, so it may be the same for their new pet.
Lupo – The first Cambridges dog
Cambridge were devastated by the death of their dog Lupo in November 2021, who was photographed with Prince George in 2016 The Loop Cocker Spaniel was given to Kate by her brother James in 2012. She first bred a puppy litter from Ella’s dog in 2011. James kept one called Luna, but gave it to Brother Lupo to Kate when Prince William, then a RAF search and rescue pilot, was deployed to the Falklands. Lupo often appeared in official Cambridge photographs, but died at the age of nine. In an Instagram post, the family said: “It’s been in the heart of our family for the last nine years and we will miss it so much.” The new Orla puppy was also given to the Cambridges by James Middleton before Lupo died. Now seven, Charlotte is likely to appear in more royal engagements, such as church services. He joined eight-year-old George in a memorial service for their late great-grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, in March. She is currently a student at Thomas Preparatory School in Battersea, south-west London. But last month, the Mail revealed that she and her little brother, Prince Louis, four, would be following George to an exclusive Berkshire school from September. William and Kate are looking for both schools and new homes in the countryside near the Duchess’s parents, Michael and Carol Middleton. The couple wants to start a new life in the Duchess’s county, in order to give their young family the best opportunity for a relatively normal childhood as much as they can. In the past, Princess Charlotte shared her birthday photos with her younger brother Louis (left, third birthday, right, fourth birthday) The Duchess of Cambridge usually takes pictures of her daughter on her birthday (left, fifth birthday, right, sixth birthday) Now that Princess Charlotte is growing up, she is more likely to appear at royal events with her older brother Prince George (photo at Easter Sunday church service at St George’s Chapel) Princess Charlotte will attend an exclusive Berkshire school in September, out of school she likes singing and ballet Although Anmer Hall was a perfect base when William worked for the East Anglia Air Ambulance, now that he and his wife are members of the full-time royal family, it is no longer practical for them to travel regularly to Norfolk on weekends. Keeping all their children in the same school will also help strengthen the bond between them as one day they take on the challenge of royal roles in modern times. Earlier this year, Prince William revealed that one of the few things they are fighting over is who can choose the music they will listen to in the morning. Charlotte, she said, “loves running to the kitchen with her dresses and ballet stuff and everything.” He added: “She is completely insane with Lewis following her around trying to do the same thing. It’s a really happy moment where the kids just enjoy dancing, messing around and singing. “ He said that his daughter likes to play the song Waka Waka by Colombian pop star Shakira.
