Ever since Kate Middleton gave birth to her third child, Prince Louis, there has been speculation about whether she and Prince William would have more kids. That’s, in many ways, the way of royalty. People are always interested in lines of succession and things like that. It’s the uncomfortable reality that comes with the position. But, with Middleton battling cancer the past few years, speculation about them expanding the family has mostly died down.
Now, we’ve got confirmation that Prince William and Kate Middleton’s family has indeed grown, but they have not welcomed another baby, but a dog. The Princess of Wales visited a pair of Welsh businesses on Tuesday, February 3, and while at the Hiut Denim factory in Cardigan, she took special notice of a cocker spaniel named Barney, which had her chatting about her own dogs.
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“She had a rather long chat with my fiancée about our dog, about how she also has cocker spaniels and that hers is the same age as ours,” Hiut CEO Johann Von Loeper shared with People. “It was a nice moment that broke the ice.”
Hello! reported that Kate confirmed rumors that she and Prince William have a new dog. Reportedly, while talking about Barney, she said, “So we’ve got a little puppy, he’s only 8 months, and Orla’s 5.”
Speculation about the new puppy has been around for a while. Orla, who was a gift from Kate’s brother, James Middleton, welcomed a litter of puppies last year. This was confirmed with a photo released to celebrate the Prince of Wales’ birthday that featured the puppies and mentioned them in the caption.
Rebecca English of The Daily Mail reported at the time that caring for the puppies was “something fun” for Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, and that the couple planned to keep one of the dogs. But there was no further confirmation on whether they’d actually followed through with that plan.
Then last month, they were spotted with two dogs. Now, we’ve got confirmation that it means the family has indeed grown, and Orla has a new playmate. The name of the puppy, however, has not been revealed.
All of this comes after Tom Quinn, the author of Yes Ma’am: Upstairs Downstairs in the British Royal Family, revealed in an interview with Fox News in 2025 that Prince William and Kate Middleton weren’t planning on having another baby, joking that the Princess of Wales views her husband as her “fourth” child.
“And so, there’s a joke among the staff that Kate treats William as the fourth because he occasionally behaves like one,” Quinn said at the time. These claims were reportedly confirmed by a staff member who chose to remain anonymous.
“She hasn’t had everything done for her throughout her life, so she calms him down when he gets a bit fractious,” the report said, with the insider adding that they “don’t know” where William would be without his wife. “She says he sometimes has to be treated as her fourth child!”