William and Kate share heartbreak as ‘dear’ dog Lupo dies
Prince William and Kate Middleton have announced the death of their ‘dear’ dog Lupo at the age of nine, expressing their profound sadness at the loss.
The black Cocker Spaniel was a wedding present from Kate’s brother James and was a regular feature in family outings and photographs.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, the royal couple wrote: ‘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.’
Lupo was bred from a dog owned by Kate’s parents Michael and Carole Middleton, named Ella, who has survived him.
Her brother James wrote: ‘Nothing can ever prepare you for the loss of a dog. For those who have never had a dog, it might be hard to understand the loss.
‘However for those who have loved a dog know the truth: a dog is not just a pet; it is a member of the family, a best friend, a loyal companion, a teacher and a therapist.’
‘For most, the loss of a dog is, in almost every way comparable to the loss of a human loved one’, he continued, adding that news of Lupo’s death ‘brought a wave of emotions flooding back’ from when he lost his first dog in 2017.
Mr Middleton, 33, said he prayed, lit a candle and took Ella for a walk in remembrance of Lupo.
Lupo appeared in the first official photograph of Prince George following his birth in 2013 and has featured alongside the family many times since.
His arrival into the family was reportedly timed to help with Prince William’s departure to the Falklands in early 2012 for a six-week deployment, just under a year after the royal wedding.
A guest at a 2018 Christmas party at Kensington Palace for RAF families told People Magazine that year: ‘When Prince William was away in the Falkland Islands, he went for dinner with some good friends of ours in the Air Force, and he was saying how difficult it was for Kate because he was leaving for six weeks. It was when they’d just got the Spaniel to help her with the time apart.
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