Duchess of Cambridge reveals new puppy is named Lupo

The Duke and Duchess have been spotted walking their puppy near their home on Anglesey in north Wales, and the Duchess is said to be “besotted” with the pet, who is keeping her company while her husband is away in the Falklands.

The dog was bred from a family pet owned by the Duchess’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, who gave Lupo to the couple before Christmas.

The name is an Italian word meaning wolf and is also used as a surname in other parts of the world.

The puppy is just a few months old and is the son of a dog belonging to Carole Middleton. The couple have had the pet since December.

The Middletons have had a family cocker spaniel named Ella for a number of years bred by Christian Hepburne Scott. One of Ella's brothers, Otto, was said to have eaten a pair of earrings belonging to the Duchess which were bought by Prince William before they were engaged.

There has been much speculation about what the duke and duchess had called their new male pet which became a member of their family before Christmas.

The puppy has been keeping the Duchess, 30, company while the Prince, 29, has been working as an RAF Search and Rescue co-pilot in the Falkland Islands.

The royal told the children about the name of her dog, which is believed to be around four months old, when she visited Rose Hill Primary School in Oxford to join an art therapy session run by The Art Room, a charity which has Kate as its patron.

The organisation uses sessions of drawing and painting to help children with issues like low self esteem or shyness, and whenever a child attends a class they can cuddle one of the many soft toys in the dedicated art space.

Lisa Hancock, manager of the school's art room, said the children had picked out a toy dog for the duchess before she arrived.

She added: ''The children had chosen a dog for her to cuddle during the lesson. She said 'what's it called?' and we said 'would you like to give it a name?' and she said 'I will call it after my dog'.''

Ms Hancock, 37, could not remember the moniker only saying it began with an L, but a St James's Palace spokesman later confirmed it as Lupo.

It is thought the duke and duchess's dog lives with them at their north Wales home near an RAF base in Anglesey where William is normally based.