The Prince and Princess of Wales used to only share new pictures to mark their children's birthdays but this year they've started a new tradition of releasing short videos as well. All of the clips were filmed during their family holiday to Cornwall at Easter and when Prince George turned 13 on 22nd July we got another glimpse at what a private trip looks like for them.
The video shows the teenager climbing up rocks and exploring on the coast, but there was also a sweet moment of George on the beach. He can be seen bending down on the sand and gently stroking the head of their chocolate brown spaniel puppy, Otto.
It seems the Waleses didn't want to go away on a trip without their canine companions and it's an interesting choice.
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Holidaying with three children is busy enough without adding two energetic dogs into the mix, but Otto and Orla were fully included in their activities. When Princess Charlotte turned 11 in May, her birthday video included footage of her on a boat and both pets were lying down calmly on the deck beside her.
So the spaniels enjoyed a beach visit and sailing, all while Otto wasn't a year old yet. This suggests that they're both well trained and it shows William and Kate really wanted the whole family to go on holiday together, as I'm sure the Middleton family would've been more than happy to dog-sit for them otherwise.
After all, Kate's parents and siblings all have their own dogs and live nearby in Berkshire. The future King and Queen probably drove or took the train down to Cornwall with George, Charlotte, Louis and the dogs which is sure to divide the crowd. Not everyone could face the idea of travelling with pets and sorting out all the logistics that come with it.
It was clearly worth it for the family and perhaps this is something they do whenever they're on holiday within the UK. In their birthday videos Prince George and Princess Charlotte certainly looked thrilled to have Otto and Orla there with them.
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Since Otto was born in 2025 the family's morning routine has changed and everyone chips in to stop him chewing. During a conversation with a guest at a Garden Party earlier this year the Princess of Wales explained, "You have to keep them busy. The first thing we do in the morning is check, 'Has anyone taken Otto out?'
Despite their best efforts to keep him "busy", Prince William said in May that Otto still has the bad habit of chewing the family's possessions. The Prince of Wales revealed this when he was touring Nansledan and came across another dog, saying, "Ours chew slippers. Anything left on the floor is gone."
Otto and Orla might not get to go on all the Wales family's holidays but there is likely another one coming up for them this summer.
During the school summer break Prince William, Kate and their children often spend time at Balmoral in Scotland with the King and Queen (who have dogs of their own). In the Our Queen at Ninety documentary in 2016, Princess Eugenie previously described how pets were always part of the royals' holidays there.
"Walks, picnics, dogs – a lot of dogs, there's always dogs – and people coming in and out all the time. It's a lovely base for Granny and Grandpa, for us to come and see them up there," she said.
