The British royals will welcome a new family member in 2025—or possibly sooner!
Scandals, romances, rumors—repeat. If you love a bit of royal gossip, we don’t blame you. In fact, we’re guilty of it too! And no palace news excites us more than new additions to the British royal family. Looking at the stats, we’re in great company: Princess Kate and Prince William’s wedding in 2011 was televised in more than 180 countries worldwide, and the YouTube stream alone had 72 million views. And then, of course, there were all the royal babies, including the couple’s three kids, whose births were celebrated around the globe.
Now, another member is set to join the royal household. King Charles himself spilled the beans when attending the Royal Variety Performance in London, an annual charity show at the Royal Albert Hall, on Nov. 28, 2024. Read on to find out everything you need to know about Britain’s next royal.
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How is the royal family expanding?
If you think additions to the family have to be human, think again—the latest member of The Firm is likely to be a dog. King Charles and Queen Camilla are reportedly planning to adopt another four-legged companion. Charles revealed the plan at the Royal Variety Performance in London, according to its host, Amanda Holden. When talking about dogs, “he said, ‘We’re going to get a new one,’” she told the press afterward.
Just in case you’re wondering if there’s also a new human on the way, the answer is yes! Princess Beatrice announced in October that she’s pregnant with her second child, and she is reportedly due in the early spring.
Why are they welcoming another dog?
While we can’t wait to see pictures of the new royal dog, the reason for it is a sad one: Camilla’s beloved Jack Russell terrier Beth has died. The king and queen announced the heartbreaking news in an Instagram post on Nov. 18. “A sad farewell to Beth, The Queen’s much-loved companion from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home who brought such joy, whether on walkies, helping on official duties, or curled up by the fire,” they wrote alongside cute snapshots and a video of Beth with the couple.
Camilla adopted Beth in 2011 from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, an animal-welfare charity and rescue center in South London. And the terrier, a 3-month-old puppy at the time, quickly became a beloved member of the royal household. Camilla famously featured Beth on her coronation gown in golden embroidery, along with the couple’s second rescue dog, Bluebell, who joined the family a year later.
Beth was regularly seen out and about with her royal owners, including when she helped Camilla unveil a new plaque at the Battersea rescue center in 2020. According to British media reports, the Jack Russell terrier had to be put down after being diagnosed with an untreatable tumor.
How are Charles and Camilla paying tribute to their pets this year?
Apart from the heartfelt Instagram message, Charles and Camilla honored Beth with a special tribute on their Christmas tree. The huge tree in Highgrove, Gloucestershire—one of the royals’ many estates—has been decorated with handmade Jack Russell ornaments, featuring Beth wearing a red bandana with an embroidered crown. The late Beth’s playmate, Bluebell, was also spotted on the tree, wearing a crown on its head.
Royal fans can visit the estate and marvel at the cute decorations, or even bring “Beth” back to their own homes. The Jack Russell terrier ornament is available at the official Highgrove online store for £12.95 (approximately $17).
Where will they likely get a new dog?
Charles and Camilla will most likely get their new dog from London’s Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. They are advocates of adopting rather than buying from breeders, and Camilla, who had gotten both Beth and Bluebell there, is a longtime patron of the animal-welfare charity. The king and queen recently even opened their private home in Gloucestershire to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, allowing them to hold a festive photo shoot with six adorable dogs.
When Beth passed away, Peter Laurie, the chief executive of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, sent his condolences, saying he knew “how difficult it is to lose a beloved pet, and Beth was very special indeed.” The charity, he continued, held “fond memories of Beth visiting our centers over the years.”
Have the other royals said anything about this development?
While none of the other royals have yet publicly addressed Beth’s death, Kate’s younger brother, James Middleton, an entrepreneur, bestselling author of Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life and dog advocate, took to Instagram on Nov. 24 to discuss Beth’s death. “The reason, I think, that losing a dog often feels harder than losing a relative or a friend is because their love for us is uncomplicated. The simple request in life is that you love them back,” he wrote. In an article published in the Times the same day, he advised the king and queen to mark Beth’s death with a burial, give themselves time and space to mourn her death and take walks in her memory.
Talking about Charles and Camilla’s plan to get a new dog, he said that while “it wasn’t the right approach” for him when his beloved dog Ella died, “it will work for many people.”
Which other British royals own dogs?
Charles and Camilla are not the only dog owners in the British royal family. In fact, the love for the furry companions goes up and down the royal family tree: There is, of course, the late Queen Elizabeth II, whose famous corgis are even featured in her newest statue. William, Kate and their three kids also share their home with a dog: The first four-legged family member we got to know was Lupo, an English cocker spaniel that died in 2020. Now, the couple owns a black cocker spaniel named Orla. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might have quit the royal family but certainly not its dog tradition. They currently own three dogs: two beagles, named Guy and Mamma Mia, and a black Lab named Pula.
Charles’s sister, Princess Anne, has a weak spot for English bull terriers. Ironically, the senior royal also owes her criminal record to her dogs—the first in the royal family’s history! In 2002, she pleaded guilty in court when one of her dogs bit two children, and had to pay a fine.
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