Royals mourn death of beloved dog

LONDON: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have revealed their sadness about the death of the family’s beloved 9yearold pet cocker spaniel Lupo.

William and Kate said in an Instagram post on Sunday, ‘‘Very sadly last weekend our dear dog, Lupo, passed away.

‘‘He has been at the heart of our family for the past nine years and we will miss him so much.’’

The dog was a wedding present from Kate’s brother James.

In pictures taken to mark Prince George’s third birthday, the little royal caused controversy by offering Lupo a lick of his ice cream.

It prompted the RSPCA to warn people not to give dairy products to their dogs, as they can be toxic, although it praised George for trying to help Lupo keep cool in the summer heat.

As recently as March, Kate revealed table tennis was a difficult activity in their household because of Lupo’s determination to get involved. — AAP