Royal Fans Discover Prince William and Princess Kate Have a New Dog During Snowy Kensington Palace Helicopter Landing

Prince William sitting in grass petting puppies

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Now that the holidays are over, Prince William and his family are getting ready to get back to school and royal routines just like the rest of us, and on Tuesday, January 6, fans spotted the heir to the throne landing at Kensington Palace via helicopter with two of his kids, their dog, Orla, and a very special surprise guest.

It turns out the Wales family has not one, but two black cocker spaniels. In a TikTok shared by user jaqueline.soaress, Orla and an identical black dog are seen romping in the snow around the royal helicopter. Orla and the mystery dog bark happily as they wait for Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte to step out in the clip, following the family as they walk into the palace entrance.

Orla gave birth to puppies last year, and the family shared a photo of Prince William playing with the dogs on his 43rd birthday. At the time, there was talk of the Prince and Princess of Wales keeping one of the cocker spaniels, but nothing was ever formally announced. The dog has never been shown in photos or official appearances like Orla, who had a starring role alongside the Prince of Wales in The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy.

Prince William playing with puppies in a field — Prince William posed with Orla and her puppies for his 43rd birthday photo in June 2025.

Prince William and Kate Middleton from behind, walking with their dog Orla — Orla is seen on her first public outing with Prince William and Princess Kate in 2022.

Marie Claire has reached out to Kensington Palace for comment on the Wales family's new dog.

Princess Kate and Prince Louis did not join the group on Tuesday, but Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince George, 12, carried their bags into the palace alongside their dad and a protection officer.

When the Wales family lived at Kensington Palace, their helicopter would routinely be spotted landing in the field behind the palace, which is located along a public path in the park. But since they've moved to Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, such arrivals are now significantly less frequent.

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.