The royals have got May under way with a name reveal and their pick has plenty of regal history.
As the new month started, the Prince and Princess of Wales shared a photo of their newest pet. The gorgeous brown cocker spaniel, who has joined the Wales family, is called Otto.
He’s the son of Orla, the pet dog that joined the family in 2020, the same year they lost their beloved dog, Lupo, who had been with them for nine years. Orla was a gift to William, Kate and their children from the brother of the Princess of Wales, James Middleton.
Otto made his debut on the social media of the Prince and Princess of Wales in a portrait taken by Kate who also snapped him last year, just after Orla had given birth to her litter of three pups. The dogs joined Prince William in a birthday portrait, also taken by the Princess of Wales.
In his latest appearance on their socials, Otto looks like a very happy pup as he marked a whole year with his royal fans. Pictured out on one of his many walks, he is a little windswept and quite content to sit happily for the Princess of Wales as she takes his photo.
The new royal pet’s name also has its own royal history. Otto was the name of four Holy Roman Emperors who ruled chunks of Europe in the 10th and 11th centuries, including Otto the Great and his son, Otto II.
It was also the name of the first King of the Greece, chosen after the London Protocol of 1829 ruled that Greece would be ruled by a monarchy as long as the king wasn’t from the dynasties of the three ‘Great Powers’ – Britain, France and Russia. Otto was actually from Bavaria and took the throne in 1832. However, his reign ran into trouble and he ended up in exile where he died, without an heir. The throne of Greece went to a Danish prince, elected to the role. He reigned as King George I and one of his grandsons was Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Right now, it’s definitely best known as the name of the new royal dog who is fast becoming a star of the family’s social media. On April 29, he was seen in a photo marking the 15th wedding anniversary of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Otto, along with mum Orla, joined William and Kate and their three children for a portrait taken by Matt Porteous which showed them all relaxing on their family break in Cornwall during the Easter holidays.
The Wales family have shared some special moments from that Cornish break in recent days as they celebrate a series of milestones. On April 23, Prince Louis was seen enjoying the holiday in birthday photos taken to mark him turning 8.
