The Prince and Princess of Wales have a new member in their household. William and Kate introduced their dog Otto to the public on 1 May, which also happened to be his first birthday.
William, Kate introduce their newest family member
The couple shared a picture of the brown spaniel on their social media accounts. The photo was taken by Kate, who often handles the camera for family portraits. Alongside the image, they wrote: “Welcome to the family Otto! 1 today (sic).”
Otto is not a completely new face. He was born last May to the couple’s older dog, Orla, who is a black cocker spaniel. Orla gave birth to four puppies, and the family decided to keep one of them . The puppies, including Otto, were first seen in a photo released to mark William’s 43rd birthday in June 2025 .
Kate first talked about the new puppy during a public visit in February this year. While at a textiles factory in Cardigan, Wales, she told staff: “So we’ve got a little puppy. He’s only eight months and Orla is five”.
The dog also appeared in the background of a family photo shared earlier this week. On 29 April, William and Kate posted a picture to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary. The image showed the couple lying in the grass with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Orla and Otto were both in the picture, resting near William .
Otto is the latest in a line of spaniels for the family. Their first dog, Lupo, was a black cocker spaniel given to them as a wedding present from Kate’s brother, James Middleton. Lupo died unexpectedly in 2020. The couple brought Orla into the family that same year, hoping to keep Lupo company .
The family also has other small pets. William once told a visitor that the couple owns guinea pigs. He said his children often forget to clean the cage. “I have to spend my life cleaning out the guinea pig cage because the children forget to do it,” he said during a visit to a farm in 2024 .
Otto’s name was kept private for nearly a year until the social media post on Friday
