Kate Middleton Remembers Dog Lupo's 'Big Personality' After His Name Unexpectedly Pops Up in Italy

Janine HenniWed, May 13, 2026 at 6:39 PM UTC

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Kate Middleton at Scuola Comunale d'infanzia Anna Frank in Reggio Emilia, Italy on May 13, 2026
Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage -

Kate Middleton reflected on her late dog Lupo during a visit to a preschool in Reggio Emilia, Italy

Lupo, a black cocker spaniel gifted by her brother James Middleton, was the first dog she and Prince William owned together

The royal family now has two cocker spaniels, Orla and Otto, who occasionally appear in family portraits and at events

Kate Middleton reminisced about her family's late dog after his name came up in an unexpected place during her Italy trip.

The Princess of Wales, 44, reflected during her visit to Scuola Comunale d'infanzia Anna Frank in Reggio Emilia on May 13, where she saw the Reggio Emilia Approach in action at the municipal preschool.

There, Princess Kate got sentimental when the Italian word "lupo," which means "wolf," came up during a learning activity as she sat with students.

According to Emily Ferguson of the Daily Express, Kate viewed pieces of paper with animal names written by the children and shouted out the one that said "Lupo."

Kate Middleton visits visits Scuola Comunale d'infanzia Anna Frank in Reggio Emilia, Italy on May 13, 2026.
Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage

"Our dog was called Lupo. We had a dog that was called Lupo," the Princess of Wales said with a smile as she raised her hand to her chest.

Princess Kate nodded yes when someone off-camera asked if she knew the Italian meaning of the pup's name, but she clarified that his name was a bit of a misnomer!

"I guess he was a big dog?" asked a voice behind the camera. "No, he wasn't actually," Kate said with a laugh and used her hands to show how big Lupo was.

"He had a big personality," she added.

Lupo was the first dog that Princess Kate and Prince William owned together as a couple, and they announced the news of his death in an emotional tribute in November 2020.

"Very sadly last weekend our dear dog, Lupo, passed away. He has been at the heart of our family for the past nine years and we will miss him so much. - W & C," the royal couple wrote online at the time.

Lupo was also a black cocker spaniel that William and Kate received from her brother James Middleton as a "belated wedding present" in 2011, according to his memoir Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.

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Lupo joined the family for several portraits, including Prince George's adorable third birthday pictures, and James gave them another black cocker spaniel called Orla before Lupo's death. Princess Kate's brother breeds dogs, and Orla was a niece of Lupo.

Orla means "golden princess" in Celtic — a fitting name for a royal family pet — and has also been at the heart of the family. The pup was pictured in Princess Charlotte's 7th and 8th birthday portraits, tagged along with Kate to watch Prince William in a polo match in 2022 and was featured in her video announcement about completing chemotherapy treatment in September 2024.

Kate Middleton and Orla attend the Out-Sourcing Inc. Royal Charity Polo Cup at Guards Polo Club on July 6, 2022 in Windsor, England.
Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

The Prince and Princess of Wales are parents to Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, and their pack expanded when they welcomed a brown cocker spaniel named Otto.

Princess Kate shared in February that they had kept one male puppy from a litter their dog had in 2025.

Orla and Otto both appeared in the Prince and Princess of Wales' 15th wedding anniversary portrait with their children on April 29, and they revealed his name in a birthday tribute on May 1.

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Princess Kate opened up about life at home with Otto, 1, while attending a Buckingham Palace garden party on May 8 and shared that he "chewed quite a lot the other day," according to Hello! magazine.

"You have to keep them busy. The first thing we do in the morning is check, 'Has anyone taken Otto out?' " she said.

The royal chatted about her family's first dog during her third outing in Reggio Emilia on Wednesday, capping the first of her two-day trip to the city.

Kate Middleton poses with children and teachers from Scuola Comunale d'infanzia Anna Frank in Reggio Emilio, Italy on May 13, 2026.
Credit: Marco BERTORELLO / POOL / AFP via Getty

The British royal headed abroad to learn more about the Reggio Emilia Approach to early childhood education as she expands the work of her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in a visit that doubles as her first international work trip since she announced her cancer diagnosis in March 2024 and remission news in January 2025.

“This is an important step in the Princess’ recovery journey. She takes great joy from this work,” an aide said about the Princess of Wales' outlook now. “I think it is only right that her first international trip since her illness is one that is focused on an issue she is committed to championing for decades to come.”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”