Prince William and Princess Catherine 'welcome' new dog to royal family

WINDSOR GREAT PARK, ENGLAND: Prince William and Princess Catherine of Wales have introduced a new addition to their family, delighting royal watchers with the announcement. The couple shared the news through a social media post, offering a glimpse into their growing household. 

By sharing an adorable photo of a dog resembling an Irish Setter and revealing his name, they introduced him as the newest addition to their household, joining Orla, the black cocker spaniel they welcomed in 2020. Dogs have long played a significant role in both the public and private lives of the royal family, a connection reflected in the many items within the Royal Collection that feature them.

Prince William and Princess Catherine delight fans with family update

The royal couple introduced their dog Otto in a Friday, May 1, Instagram post, sharing an image of the pup alongside a message that read, “Welcome to the family, Otto! 1 today.” He is now part of a household that includes the couple’s three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. 

Meanwhile, William has also offered insight into the family’s least favourite chore, revealing that cleaning the guinea pig’s cage is a task they tend to avoid. As The Telegraph’s Victoria Ward shared, following his 2024 visit to Woodgate Valley Urban Farm, he “revealed that his kids always forget to clean out their own guinea pig, leaving him to do it.”

William and Catherine are not the first members of the royal family to welcome pets into their home. The late Queen Elizabeth II was widely known for her love of corgis, owning more than 30 throughout her 70-year reign.

Indeed, Elizabeth was known to personally care for the dogs herself, according to many who were close to the royal family over the years. “The Queen went out walking with her dogs every day,” photographer Annie Leibovitz shared alongside a photo she had taken of the queen on X in 2022.

She further remarked, “The Queen grew up with corgis, fearless little dogs bred for herding cattle. Her father brought a corgi home when she was 7, and she was not without one for decades afterward.” Indeed, according to the royal family’s official website, the queen’s own lineage of corgis began in 1944 when she received her first pup, Susan, on her 18th birthday.

From there, the royal bred all of her corgis as descendants of Susan and also included a few 'dorgis.' The royal website explains, “As well as her love of corgis, The Queen has also bred 'dorgis'—a cross between dachshund and corgis.”

Prince William and Catherine celebrate 15 years of marriage with family portrait

The Prince and Princess of Wales also marked their 15th wedding anniversary by sharing a family portrait on Instagram. The image shows them lying in long grass alongside their three children, while laughing and smiling together. The post was accompanied by the caption, "Celebrating 15 years of marriage," along with a heart emoji.

They were married at Westminster Abbey in London in 2011, in a ceremony watched by an estimated billion people worldwide, according to the historic venue. The couple first met as students at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and spent their early married life in Anglesey, Wales, where William trained as an RAF search-and-rescue pilot.

Reflecting on that period during a recent visit, William said, "I loved my time up here. It was great fun … I do miss it. I miss the job, I miss the camaraderie." He added, "Your time up here will go quickly, that's the thing. You'll look back with fond memories."

In the years since their wedding, further details have emerged about William’s proposal to Catherine. By the time he proposed, the couple had been together for nearly a decade, prompting speculation about the delay. According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, Catherine had apparently 'given up hope' at that point.

William ultimately proposed during a vacation in Kenya. In her 2013 biography 'Kate: The Future Queen,' Nicholl wrote that Catherine was left “speechless” and in “total shock." "[Kate] had dared to hope that she might return from Africa with a ring on her finger," Nicholl explained. However, by the final day of the trip, her "heart was heavy" as there was still “no sign of a proposal."