Royal Fans Want Details About Kate Middleton and Prince William's "Mysterious" New Family Member

This is a case for the FBI!

Prince William, wearing a red sweater and blue suit jacket, and Kate Middleton, wearing a camel coat and matching turtleneck sweater, visit Scarborough on November 3, 2022
(Image credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

Royal fans have reacted to Kate Middleton's Mother's Day Instagram post by asking whether the Prince and Princess of Wales have expanded their family.

On March 30, Princess Kate shared a video montage on Instagram in honor of Mother's Day 2025. The post included nature footage captured at the same time as Kate's announcement revealing she'd completed chemotherapy, which was released in Setember 2024. "Over the past year, nature has been our sanctuary," the Princess of Wales wrote. "This Mother's Day, let us celebrate Mother Nature and recognize how our bond with the natural world can help not only nurture our inner selves, but remind us too of the role we play within the rich tapestry of life."

One particular clip shows a brown Cocker Spaniel running alongside Princess Kate and Prince William's dog Orla. As a result, royal fans are asking if Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis have a new puppy.

As reported by Hello! magazine, "Royal fans quickly spotted a mysterious brown Cocker Spaniel alongside Orla, sparking speculation that the family has quietly welcomed another furry friend into their home." Unfortunately, the truth is likely to disappoint royal fans hoping the royal household has acquired a new pet.

A mysterious brown Cocker Spaniel appeared in Kate Middleton's Instagram video celebrating Mother's Day 2025

A mysterious brown Cocker Spaniel appears in Kate Middleton's Instagram video celebrating Mother's Day 2025.

(Image credit: Instagram/theprinceandprincessofwales)

Sadly, the Daily Mail quickly debunked fan "speculation," revealing that "the pooch is one of James Middleton's beloved pet dogs."

However, not everyone is so sure the "mysterious" pup belongs to Kate's brother. One royal fan wrote on X, "Guys the Daily Mail is saying the other Cocker Spaniel that appeared in the video yesterday isn't William and Kate's dog but I just found that this dog appear[ed] in Princess Catherine's video announcing the end of her chemotherapy. Zoom in! The new [dog] was there all this time."

For now, the jury is out on whether Kate and William have acquired a new dog or not. This could be a case for the FBI.

Amy Mackelden
Weekend Editor

Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.