<
Aby
commented, “A terrific picture implanted itself in my mind of the
Royal Couple walking down a beach and Lupo running in the wash and
he just looked like this incredibly happy, fun dog and all those
things just came together in that moment of my dog Lilly running
around in the palace gardens.”
Although Aby does give credit to her dog Lilly for the idea, she
says that her own personal tragedy also inspired her to write the
book. Her fiancé Mark, committed suicide just weeks before their
wedding amidst the depression of his business empire collapsing.
Aby spoke of this, “You naturally look for someone to blame.
Mentally I accused everyone, then I blamed myself. I was tortured
about why I hadn’t seen that he was in such a state of emotional
crisis.”
Lupo the dog was given to the Duchess of Cambridge as an early
Christmas present in 2011 from her parents after he was bred from
their family dog, Ella.
It was Aby King’s dog Lilly who helped her through the tragic loss
of her fiancé and she says that the Cocker Spaniel’s birth the day
before Mark’s funeral was a ‘beacon of hope’. She also commented
that Lilly pretty much saved her life and pulled her through some
very dark days and that without her she would have just
crumbled.
In the first story of the series, Lupo is out for a walk with Nanny
and Prince George in Kensington Gardens when he is accused of a
serious crime he did not commit. The crime in question was an
attack on a swan that is protected under The Queens charter. The
story sees Lupo cross paths with a villainous corgi called Vulcan
but we can only assume that Lupo is successful in his quest for
justice.
The focus of the book is on animals though many members of the
Royal Family do make guest appearances and as Aby says, “Its not
about the Royal Family as such, they are only fleetingly mentioned.
At the heart of these stories is the bond between Lupo and Prince
George. I hope when he is older his parents will read the books to
him.”
The Adventures of Lupo the Royal Dog: The Secret of Windsor Castle
is out on September 4th and although one is over a certain age, I
can assure you this book is on my reading list for the next couple
of months!
Photo Credit: Government House NZ/Woolfe/Crown
]]>
