Lupo (dog)

Lupo (December 2011 – November 2020) was an English Cocker Spaniel owned by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. He was credited with raising the profile of the breed in the United Kingdom by The Kennel Club, and appeared in photographs alongside his owners' son, Prince George of Cambridge.

Lupo
SpeciesCanis lupus familiaris
BreedEnglish Cocker Spaniel
SexMale
BornDecember 2011 (2011-12)
DiedNovember 2020 (2020-12) (aged 8)
Owner

Life and family
Lupo was reportedly used to select the name of William and Catherine's first child, Prince George of Cambridge.

Lupo was bred from Ella, a dog owned by Michael and Carole Middleton,[1] the parents of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.[2] He was a working-type English Cocker Spaniel. Lupo was born in a litter just prior to Christmas 2011, and was given to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.[3][4]

While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were awaiting the birth of their first child, they relocated to the duchess's family home in Berkshire, along with Lupo. While there, the media reported that he managed to get his head trapped in a set of gates, requiring the local fire brigade to be called out. A spokesperson from the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service explained that "The special unit from Reading was dispatched along with an appliance from the nearest station, Newbury. Our crew got to the manor but were told as they arrived at the gates that the dog, which had got its head stuck, had been freed just a few moments earlier."[1] Lupo was used to select the name of William and Catherine's first child; they scattered pieces of paper with various names on the floor with the dog stopping at George.[5]

Following the birth of Prince George of Cambridge, Lupo was featured in one of the first official photographs.[6] He was subsequently featured in a family portrait with the Duke and Duchess and Prince George in March 2014.[7] He did not travel with his owners on their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2014.[7]

Origin of name

"Lupo" is the Italian word for wolf and derived from Latin "lupus". It was reported that the duchess named the dog after the family of her paternal great-grandmother, Olive Christiana Middleton (née Lupton); the Lupton family crest has wolves on it.[8][9] The pair appeared on the front cover of Hello magazine.[10]

Death

Lupo died in November 2020, of unknown causes.[11] The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared an image on Instagram on 22 November 2020, saying: "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".[12]

Cultural impact

The Kennel Club has attributed the raised profile and interest in English Cocker Spaniels to Lupo. There was an increase of 50% in the searches on its "Find A Puppy" website in the months following the royal couple's announcement of their ownership of Lupo.[13] This increased interest has also had the effect of an increase in thefts of English Cocker Spaniels.[14]

Aby King is signed to a four-book deal to write about the fictional adventures of Lupo for children. She was inspired following walks in Kensington Palace Gardens with her own Cocker Spaniel, and the death of her fiancé. The first book is called The Adventures of Lupo the Royal Dog: The Secret of Windsor Castle and was released in September 2014.[15]

References
  1. "Kate in 999 Drama after 'Lupo' Traps Head in Gate". The Mirror. HighBeam Research. 20 July 2013. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  2. Rudd, Andy (22 July 2013). "Kate Middleton labour: How the Duchess of Cambridge's family will back the royal parents". The Mirror. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  3. Lupo, the Cambridge Family dog, has died
  4. Clarence House deny Kate Middleton's dog caused emergency services to rush to the Middleton's Berkshire home
  5. Fletcher, Damien (18 September 2013). "It's Ruff Justice". The Mirror. Questia Online Library. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  6. Cockerell, Jennifer (20 August 2013). "Our Little Rascal; William and Kate Release Portrait of Baby George". Daily Post. Questia Online Library. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  7. Young, Fiona (30 March 2014). "The Bark Royal". Sunday Mail. HighBeam Research. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  8. "William and Kate's cocker spaniel is named Lupo". AP Worldstream. HighBeam Research. 21 February 2012. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  9. Rayner, Gordon (21 June 2013). "How the family of 'commoner' Kate Middleton has been rubbing shoulders with royalty for a century". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  10. "Why puppy love is just what Kate needs before the baby comes along". Belfast Telegraph. HighBeam Research. 2 March 2012. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  11. Yasharoff, Hannah (22 November 2020). "Prince William, Duchess Kate mourn death of dog Lupo, who was 'at the heart of our family'". USA Today. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
  12. Pasquini, Maria (22 November 2020). "Prince William and Kate Middleton Mourn the Death of Family Dog Lupo: 'We Will Miss Him So Much'". People. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  13. "Now everyone's going loopy for Kate's Lupo". Birmingham Mail. HighBeam Research. 9 March 2012. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  14. Stretch, Euan (8 February 2013). "Dognap: 2 Arrested". The Mirror. HighBeam Research. Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  15. "Prince George and pet dog Lupo to star in children's books". Hello Magazine. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2020. The adorable canine will play a starring role in The Adventures of a Royal Dog: Lupo and The Secret of Windsor Castle, written by Aby King.
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