The Royal Family has always been a dog family, so it seemed to be only a matter of time before William and Kate acquired a four-legged friend of their own. Sure enough, they were seen walking on the beach near their home in Anglesey, Wales, with a three-month old black cocker spaniel before their recent holiday in Mustique.
A spokesman from St James’ Palace confirmed to the Daily Beast the dog’s age and breed, but added that the dog’s name has not and will not be released, only commenting that “it is a private matter.”
Betting firm Ladbrokes are offering odds of 10-1 that the dog will be called Charlie, 33-1 on Bouncer and 66-1 on Fenton—the name of the dog seen chasing deer in Richmond Park, which became a YouTube sensation.
The hound is said by sources to be the son of a dog named Ella, belonging to Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton.
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Prince William’s first dog was a black Labrador named Widgeon. In this picture, William is seen with his father and brother by the River Dee, on the Balmoral Castle Estate. Also in shot is Prince Charles's Jack Russell terrier, Tigga. In 1998, Widgeon had a litter of eight pups. He died eighteen months ago.
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A young Prince Harry plays with Rosie and Jenny, spaniels owned by Andrew Gailey, housemaster of the Manor House at Eton College, where the Prince was a student.
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Prince Harry pets a puppy during a visit to a child education center on June 17, 2010 in Semonkong, Lesotho.
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The current Queen is, of course, associated with the Corgi. The breed was introduced to the Royal Family by her father, King George VI, in 1933 when he bought a Corgi called Dookie from a local kennel—and Dookie proved popular with his daughters. A second Corgi, called Jane, had puppies, including royal dogs Crackers and Carol.
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For her eighteenth birthday, The Queen was given a Corgi named Susan, and numerous successive dogs were bred from her. Some Corgis were mated with Dachshunds (most notably Pipkin, who belonged to Princess Margaret) to create ‘Dorgis’.
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Over the years, the Royal Family have embraced dogs as their favored pets. Formal portraits from the 17th century onwards show kings, queens and their children happily posing with their beloved animals, from pugs to greyhounds, King Charles spaniels to corgis.
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Some pets have even merited their own portraits, and, as in many households, were considered very much members of the family. When Queen Victoria’s beloved Collie, Noble, died at Balmoral in 1887, he was buried in the grounds of the castle and given his own gravestone, which read:
'Noble by name, by nature noble too /
Faithful companion sympathetic true /
His remains are interred here.'
King Edward VII’s beloved terrier Caesar, who outlived the King, walked behind His Majesty’s coffin in the funeral cortege.
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Like her husband, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall favors Jack Russell terriers. Here she is seen with her dogs Tosca and Rosie.
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Why does Charles look so much happier when he is alone with his dog?
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Charles, Diana and the boys pose with Tigga in 1986.
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Princess Anne is clearly a fan of the British bulldog.
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Prince Harry holds an eight-week-old puppy called Veyron during a visit to the charity Canine Partners Training Center on July 13, 2010.
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