The British Royal Family just added a new member—but this one isn’t in the line of succession. Instead, the newest member of the House of Windsor has four legs and some fur.
According to People, Prince William and Kate Middleton have officially introduced their puppy, Otto, to the public. The couple revealed the name on May 1, sharing a photo to mark the dog’s first birthday with the caption, “Welcome to the family, Otto! 1 today.”
The English cocker spaniel had already appeared days earlier in a family portrait released for William and Kate’s 15th wedding anniversary, so he’d been in the family for a while. However, this is the first time he’s been formally identified.
Otto is the son of Orla, the family’s black cocker spaniel, who has been with them since 2020. Kate confirmed earlier this year that they kept one male puppy from Orla’s 2025 litter, quietly expanding the household before making it public. However, Kate didn’t mention where the other puppies from the litter had gone.
The addition of Otto continues a pattern within the British royal family. The couple’s first dog, Lupo—also an English cocker spaniel—was a fixture in early family photos after being gifted following their 2011 wedding.
He also appeared alongside Prince George in official portraits and was widely credited with boosting the breed’s popularity across the U.K.
Unfortunately, Lupo died in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, marking a shift that led to Orla’s arrival soon after.
William has previously spoken about that loss, saying, “Yes, we were all there, sadly. It was very sad,” referring to the family being present when Lupo died during lockdown.
Since then, Orla has appeared at public events and in family content, including a 2024 video in which Kate reflected on her health journey and emphasized “simply loving and being loved.”
