The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 'besotted' with new member of their family

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been gifted a cocker spaniel puppy from the Duchess' brother, James Middleton. And the family are said to be "besotted" over the new arrival.

• The Cambridge family dog, Lupo, sadly passed away in November
• James Middleton gifted them a cocker spaniel puppy - believed to be Lupo's nephew - shortly before Lupo's death
• The family are "besotted" with the new arrival
• It follows royal news that Princess Eugenie is set to 'step up' following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's departure from the royal family 

Losing a pet is never easy, and the death of their beloved pet Lupo will have hit the Cambridge family hard last November.

But, one thing that has certainly softened the blow is the arrival of a new puppy - a gift from Kate Middleton's brother, James Middleton, shortly before Lupo's death.

The adorable black cocker spaniel is believed to be Lupo's nephew and settling into its new home at Anmer Hall in Norfolk quite well.

According to the Mail on Sunday, an insider revealed, "The new puppy is adorable and the whole family are besotted.

"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 a younger dog would give Lupo some company and give him a little more life and energy."

James has been breeding puppies since 2011 and first gifted Lupo to Kate when Prince William was deployed to the Falklands in 2012. Lupo settled into the couple's home in Anglesey, before moving with the Cambridge's and famously making an appearance in the first family photo with Prince George in 2013.

The couple shared the tragic news of Lupo's death back in November and said he'd been the "heart of our family" for nine years.

Kate's brother, James, also shared his own touching tribute, saying nothing can "ever prepare you" for such a heartbreaking loss.

"Nothing can ever prepare you for the loss of a dog. For those who have never had a dog, it might be hard to understand the loss. However for those who have loved a dog know the truth: a dog is not just a pet; it is a member of the family, a best friend, a loyal companion, a teacher and a therapist," he wrote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHyCpSEdGGA

"Many people over the years have reached out to me about the pain of loosing a dog and for most, the loss of a dog is, in almost every way comparable to the loss of a Human loved one. The pain I felt from loosing my first dog Tilly back in 2017 still hurts and on hearing the news about Lupo brought a wave of emotions flooding back.

"There isn’t much of a rule book on how to grieve for a dog, but I’ve said a prayer, lit a candle and taken Ella (Mum) for a long walk to spend time remembering Lupo."