Kate Middleton and Prince William mark World Mental Health Day on Oct. 12, 2023. Photo:
Chris Jackson/Getty
Kate Middleton celebrated Mother’s Day with a tribute to Mother Nature, and she sparked some speculation about an addition to the royal family.
In the video shared to mark Mothering Sunday on March 30, the Prince and Princess of Wales showcased some of the U.K.’s natural beauty. Kate is seen placing her hands on the trunk of a tree, while the montage also includes clips of ocean waves, blooming flowers and rain over a field.
At one point, a man (who appears to be Prince William!) walks barefoot as two dogs follow close behind — a clip that had some wondering if the Prince and Princess of Wales have added a new pet to the family.
Princess Kate, 43, and Prince William, 42, have a black cocker spaniel named Orla, but a second brown dog also appears in the clip.
There’s been no official statement from the palace about a new pup, but it’s possible that the brown dog belongs to another member of Kate’s family.
Dogs in Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Instagram video shared on March 30, 2025. The Prince and Princess of Wales/Instagram
The pet may belong to Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, who were present when the video was shot, according to Hello! magazine.
The dog also resembles Nala, a brown cocker spaniel that is one of the six pups owned and loved by the Princess of Wales’ younger brother, James Middleton. James is a patron of several dog-related charities, founder of a dog food brand and even the author of a book about one of his beloved dogs, titled Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.
Just before losing their beloved cocker spaniel Lupo in 2020, William and Kate welcomed Orla — who was bred by James — as a puppy.
A source told The Mail on Sunday at the time that the entire family was “besotted” with their new furry friend.
“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.”
Since joining the family, Orla has been a devoted companion to their children — Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 — and was even featured in Charlotte’s birthday portraits in 2022 and 2023.
Orla with Kate Middleton and Prince William at a polo game in July 2022. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty
The royal family’s love of animals and devotion to their pets is well-documented, with the most prominent example being William’s late grandmother Queen Elizabeth.
The Queen received her first corgi, Susan, as an 18th birthday gift and started a long line of corgis and corgi-dachshund mixes, known as “dorgis,” that she owned throughout her life — 14 generations, to be exact.
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Following her death on Sept. 8, 2022, the Queen’s two remaining dogs, Muick and Sandy, waited for her coffin to arrive at her committal service at Windsor Castle.
The pups are now in the care of her son Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who told PEOPLE that the corgis are “national icons, so every time they run chasing a squirrel, I panic. But they’re total joys, and I always think that when they bark at nothing, and there’s no squirrels in sight, I believe it’s because the Queen is passing by.”
