The dog Lupo, given as a gift to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the occasion of their wedding, has passed away • "He was the heart of the family", the couple wrote on Instagram
Lupo in an official photo of the family after the birth of the regent
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Lupo, the beloved dog of Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, died last weekend - the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posted in an Instagram post.
The royal couple announced the death of Lupo to their 12 million followers: "We are very sad to announce the death of Lupo our dear dog. He has been the heart of the family for the past nine years."
With the announcement of his death, many Britons expressed condolences.
Lupo, an English Cocker Spaniel, was given to the couple as a wedding gift from Kate Middleton's parents in 2011. Since then, Prince William and Kate have shared many photos of him, including an official photo in which he appeared, after the birth of their eldest son Prince George in 2013 .
In fact, Lupo also "chose" the name of the future King of Britain.
In an interview he gave in the past, Prince William said: "When we wanted to choose a name for our eldest son, we wrote notes with names and laid them on the floor. Lupo went over them and stopped at the note that had the name George written on it."
After the birth of the regent, the prince told the media in the UK: "Lupo copes well with birth. Dogs are difficult at first when there is someone new who takes the attention, but they get used to it fast. Now he is very happy. Prince George and the dog Lupo are at the top of my concerns ".
In 2016, the dog was also at the center of the campaign of the Royal Animal Protection Organization RSPCA, along with Prince George who was then three years old.
George was photographed trying to give some of his ice cream to the dog to cool him down.
The organization issued a statement saying "We want to remind the public that dairy foods are toxic to dogs. However, it is exciting to see how important Lupo is to the prince, and how much George is trying to drive him in the hot summer."
The royal house has even published four children's books on "The Royal Dog Lupo".
The dog's name, Lupo, was given to him after the grandmother of Kate Madleton's father, Olive Christina Patton.
The Duchess's brother, James Madleton, paid tribute to Lupo: "Nothing can prepare you for the loss of a dog, the grief that goes through the heart is almost like the grief over the death of a family member. When I heard about Lupo's death, I was re-flooded with deep grief over the death of my first dog. Tilly in 2017. Unfortunately, there is no book that explains how to mourn a dog, so I lit a candle for him. "
The English Cocker Spaniel dogs are a purebred that accompanies many of the British royal family.
They are considered energetic and happy dogs.
Duchess Middleton has previously said that Lupo often chases the tennis ball and catches them while they play.
In 2013, the fire brigade of the royal estate was also called to rescue the dog that was stuck in the fence with its head.
By the time the team arrived the dog had already managed to free itself.
In 2014, during a royal visit to Australia and New Zealand, a local boy gave Middleton a gift for Lupo, and Kate expressed great joy.
"A lot of kids bring me presents for little George and I'm glad someone remembers Lupo too," Kate told the boy.