The Princess of Wales yesterday confirmed that her family has welcomed a new, furry addition.
On Tuesday, Kate, 44, continued her mission to highlight the British textiles industry with a visit to a manufacturer in Cardigan, Wales.
The royal lit up as she met English cocker spaniel Barney during the visit to the family-owned Hiut Denim.
It was during this encounter that Kate confirmed she, along with her husband, Prince William, 43, and their children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven, have recently welcomed a dog of the same breed into their family.
She told staff at the Cardigan manufacturers: ‘We have the same breed of dog,’ Hello reported.
After being asked how old their dog was, Kate replied: ‘So we’ve got a little puppy, he’s only eight months, and Orla’s five.’
The latest addition may be one of Orla’s, who gave birth to quadruplets in May.
Cocker spaniel Orla joined the Wales family in 2020 as a gift from Kate’s brother James Middleton, who is well known for breeding dogs.
The Waleses are thought to have welcomed gorgeous pooch Orla in 2020, in the same year that their former family dog, Lupo, died.
A source at the time told The Mail on Sunday that the whole family were ‘besotted’ with their new pup.
‘They were devastated when Lupo passed away,’ the friend added. ‘It was hoped that a younger dog would give Lupo some company and give him a little more life and energy.’
The cocker spaniel was the puppy of James Middleton’s dog, Ella. The younger sibling of Kate is known for his passion for pups and currently owns six dogs.
James is patron of several dog-related charities, founder of a dog food brand and the author of a book about one of his late dogs, titled Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.
Since adopting the cocker spaniel, Orla has been a devoted friend to the couple’s children and was even included in their daughter’s birthday portraits in 2022 and 2023.
Orla also appeared on the Royal Family’s social media channels for National Pet Day last year.
A photograph of the black cocker spaniel was shared online with the caption: ‘Celebrating the animals who bring so much joy, companionship and love to our lives’.
Orla also featured in the family’s heartfelt Mother’s Day video last year, in which Prince William traipses through long grass barefoot with both pooches in tow, as they excitedly jump up on his leg, while wagging their tails.
Elsewhere yesterday, Kate stopped off at Melin Tregwynt, a woolen mill weaving traditional Welsh designs in a remote wooded valley on the Pembrokeshire coast, which has been in continuous operation since at least 1841. Today it employs more than 40 local people.
Dressing for the occasion, the royal sported an elegant coat crafted from Melin Tregwynt Welsh tapestry wool, made to highlight the mill’s bold geometric weaving heritage.
Alongside the sartorial tribute to Welsh craftsmanship, the mother of three donned a bottle-green roll-neck jumper and high-waisted trousers in a matching shade from Victoria Beckham.
Kate, keeping jewellery to a minimum, added a pair of simple gold hoops from Spells of Love while opting for a more dramatic makeup look, including a smoky eye. She completed her ensemble with a pair of suede heels from Emmy London.
Though she proved just as easily she can do fuss-free styles late last month when she plaited her hair while out on a mindfulness walk, Kate opted for a more glamorous hairstyle with a half-up hairdo yesterday.
Melin Tregwynt holds an extensive archive of traditional patterns, which are carefully preserved and faithfully revived so the craft can be passed on to future generations, with a focus on Welsh double-cloth weaving – a traditional, wool textile technique, producing reversible, thick blankets with inverted patterns on each side.
The princess met with Melin’s director, Louise Clarke, who showed her the full production process, from the weaving machines to the finished products, and introduced some of the talented young weavers who are learning the craft.
