From fine lineage herself Orla was originally a present to the Princess from her brother James Middleton. James, the dog-food connoisseur, is famously very fond of his distinguished line of spaniels (his Instagram bio opens with a paw print emoji). He gifted Orla to Kate Middleton in 2020.
Sadly, just a few months after Orla’s arrival, the pair’s beloved nine-year-old Lupo died. Also a gift from James, the black spaniel had been a belated wedding-present to the royal couple, as confirmed in his 2024 memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life. It later transpired Kate had received the family dog during a difficult time, as Prince William was deployed to the Falklands during his time working for the RAF in 2012.
Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales with Princess Charlotte of Wales, Prince George of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales watch a flypast from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 5, 2025 in London, England
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‘They were devastated when Lupo passed away, as any dog owner will understand, but got the new puppy before he died. It was hoped that a younger dog would give Lupo some company and give him a little more life and energy,’ a family friend told the Mail on Sunday. ‘The new puppy is adorable and the whole family is besotted.’
Orla joined Anmer Hall, Prince William and Kate Middleton’s home in Norfolk, but had made her Instagram debut via James in a 2020. Flanked by glossy haired spaniels, he penned, ‘I am sad to see you go, and yes I might cry but it will be with happiness as each of your new homes are bursting with love.’
With a family history almost as well documented as the royal themselves, the pooch has been a firm-fixture in the young family’s life. She played a starring role in Princess Charlotte’s seventh and eighth birthday portraits, with whom she shares a particularly close bond.
The aptly chosen Celtic name means Golden princess (something this writer gleefully informs people, being that she shares a name with the royal couple’s pooch). In a 2024 visit to Duchy College Stoke Climsland in Callington, Cornwall, The Prince of Wales made a very private confession: that he and the Princess of Wales allow their cocker spaniel puppy to share their bed at night.