Prince William and Princess Kate's "secret dog" was front and centre in Charlotte's birthday portraits

This week saw Princess Charlotte's eighth birthday, with the Prince and Princess of Wales releasing two new official portraits of their daughter to mark the occasion.

As per tradition, one of the photographs was taken by Kate Middleton and the other by a professional photographer, with both portraits going viral after being posted on Instagram. 

The first portrait garnered attention for Princess Charlotte's likeness to her father Prince William, but it was the second that truly got the world talking - particularly because it featured the mysterious Wales family dog, who has previously been kept a secret.

Orla, the Wales family dog, has been on the scene for four years, but despite this she has only been seen a few times, kept out of the public eye - so much so in fact that she was dubbed the family's "secret dog".

While the existence of a Wales family dog was known, the spaniel only made her first public appearance last summer, attending the Royal Charity Polo Cup 2022 at Guards Polo Club. And she certainly made waves, with the Prince and Princess even revealing her name there.

Orla is the Wales' second dog, with the family tragically losing their first dog Lupo back in November 2020.

It has been reported that Kate's brother James Middleton gave them eight month old Orla before Lupo passed away, with a source telling The Mail on Sunday: "They were devastated when Lupo passed away, as any dog owner will understand, but got the new puppy before he died. It was hoped that the younger dog would give Lupo some company and give him a little bit more life and energy."

It is not known why Prince William and Princess Kate have chosen to keep their dog out of the spotlight until now, but their decision to feature Orla in Princess Charlotte's birthday portraits suggests that we might be seeing more of her.

Well this is lovely - more pictures please royals!

Happy Birthday to Princess Charlotte!