All About Kate Middleton and Prince William’s Rarely-Seen Cocker Spaniel, Orla
The pup made a surprise appearance in the princess's cancer update video.
Kate Middleton's brother, James Middleton, is famous for his love of dogs—as noted in his memoir, "Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life." But the royal sibling isn't the only one who has a soft spot for canine companions.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have owned two black cocker spaniels over the years: Lupo, who passed away in 2020, and Orla, their current pup.
But Orla, who was given to the couple by James before Lupo's death, has been seen by the public on very few occasions until she was spotted in the princess's cancer update video on Sept. 9.
The cocker spaniel ran alongside the royal couple and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, at the beginning of the clip, which was released to announce the princess had finished chemotherapy treatment.
The Prince and Princess of Wales relaxed on a beach with Orla in a video on Sept. 9.
She also trotted in the background while the family enjoyed a picnic and sat with the Prince and Princess of Wales on a beach later in the video.
And while Orla posed in Princess Charlotte's sweet seventh birthday photos, the only time she's appeared in public is when the Waleses attended the 2022 Royal Charity Polo Cup.
The couple kept their dog's existence a secret until January 2021, despite receiving the puppy at some point in 2020 from James, who bred a litter of puppies from Lupo's sister, Luna.
A source told The Mail on Sunday that the prince and princess wanted a puppy to "give Lupo some company and give him a little more life and energy," but sadly, the 9-year-old cocker spaniel died in November 2020.
Orla made her first public appearance at a 2022 polo match.
"They were devastated when Lupo passed away," the insider added, with William and Catherine writing on social media that the dog had "been at the heart of" their life on social media at the time.
Luckily, little Orla was there to lift their spirits, and her moniker has an especially fitting meaning for a palace pup. The Celtic name Orla—which is a popular girl's first name in Ireland today—means "golden princess."
However, the Wales family kept her name a secret until their 2022 polo outing, where the couple sweetly played with their black spaniel.
Perhaps we'll be seeing more from the royal pup following Orla's starring moment on social media this month.
