The British royals welcomed a new family member—and we have all the details
The Royal Family Is Growing by One! Here’s What to Know
Updated on Feb. 26, 2025
Scandals, romances, rumors—repeat. If you love a bit of royal gossip, we don’t blame you. In fact, we’re guilty of it too! And no palace news excites us more than new additions to the British royal family. Looking at the stats, we’re in great company: Princess Kate and Prince William’s wedding in 2011 was televised in more than 180 countries worldwide, and the YouTube stream alone had 72 million views. And then, of course, there were all the royal babies, including the couple’s three kids, whose births were celebrated around the globe.
Now, another member has officially joined the royal household. Queen Camilla herself spilled the beans during a visit to the Beaney House of Art & Knowledge in Canterbury on Feb. 25. Read on to find out everything you need to know about Britain’s next royal.
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How is the royal family expanding?
If you think additions to the family have to be human, think again—the latest member of The Firm is a dog! King Charles and Queen Camilla recently adopted another four-legged companion, and the pup is just a few weeks old. Camilla revealed the news after unveiling a statue in front of Beaney House. (Cool fact: The statue was of Aphra Behn, the first woman in the U.K. to earn a living as a writer.) While chatting with a visually impaired group after the event, Camilla bent down to pet one of the guide dogs and shared, “I’ve just got a new puppy.”
If you’re a devout royal watcher, this news might not come as a huge surprise to you. Charles hinted that an adoption was in the works back in November 2024 while attending the Royal Variety Performance in London, an annual charity show at the Royal Albert Hall. When talking about dogs to the event’s host, he said, ‘We’re going to get a new one.'” And that has now happened!
Speaking of additions, there’s also a new human member of the royal family: Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo “Edo” Mapelli Mozzi, welcomed their second daughter, Athena Elizabeth Rose Mapelli Mozzi, on Jan. 22.
What do we know about the new royal dog?
For starters, we know the dog’s name! “It’s called Moley,” Camilla said in the same conversation. “Looks just like a mole!” A rescue dog, the female pup is 8 weeks old, and Camilla said she is “a bit of everything” breed-wise. We have since gotten a little more clarity on Moley’s breed: Her mother is half Jack Russell terrier, though her father’s lineage is unknown. And she was born on Boxing Day—Dec. 26, 2024.
Unfortunately, Camilla and Charles haven’t yet released an image of Moley, but we are keeping our eyes glued to the royals’ Instagram account for that first sighting!
Why did Camilla and Charles decide to adopt another dog?
While we can’t wait to see pictures of the new royal dog, the reason for it is a sad one: Camilla’s beloved Jack Russell terrier Beth passed away last year. The king and queen announced the heartbreaking news in an Instagram post on Nov. 18, 2024.
“A sad farewell to Beth, The Queen’s much-loved companion from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home who brought such joy, whether on walkies, helping on official duties, or curled up by the fire,” they wrote alongside cute snapshots and a video of Beth with the couple.
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Camilla adopted Beth in 2011 from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, an animal-welfare charity and rescue center in South London. And the terrier, a 3-month-old puppy at the time, quickly became a beloved member of the royal household. Camilla famously featured Beth on her coronation gown in golden embroidery, along with the couple’s other rescue dog, Bluebell, who joined the family a year later.
Beth was regularly seen out and about with her royal owners, including when she helped Camilla unveil a new plaque at the Battersea rescue center in 2020. According to British media reports, the Jack Russell terrier had to be put down after being diagnosed with an untreatable tumor.
Where did they get their new dog?
Charles and Camilla got Moley from London’s Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, where they also adopted Beth and Bluebell. They are advocates of adopting rather than buying from breeders, and Camilla is a longtime patron of the animal organization. Recently, the king and queen even opened their private home in Gloucestershire to the group, allowing them to hold a festive photo shoot with six adorable dogs.
When Beth passed away, Peter Laurie, the chief executive of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, sent his condolences, saying he understood “how difficult it is to lose a beloved pet, and Beth was very special indeed.” The charity, he continued, held “fond memories of Beth visiting our centers over the years.”
How did Charles and Camilla pay tribute to Beth?
Apart from the heartfelt Instagram message, Charles and Camilla honored Beth with a special tribute on last year’s Christmas tree. The huge tree in Highgrove, Gloucestershire—one of the royals’ many estates—and was decorated with handmade Jack Russell ornaments, featuring Beth wearing a red bandana with an embroidered crown. The late Beth’s playmate Bluebell, was also spotted on the tree, wearing a crown on its head.
Royal fans can even bring “Beth” back to their own homes. The Jack Russell terrier ornament is available at the official Highgrove online store for £12.95 (approximately $17).
Have the other royals said anything about the new family addition?
None of the other royals have publicly welcomed Moley to the family just yet. But last year, Princess Kate’s younger brother, James Middleton—an entrepreneur, the bestselling author of Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life and a dog advocate—took to Instagram to discuss Beth’s passing. “The reason, I think, that losing a dog often feels harder than losing a relative or a friend is because their love for us is uncomplicated. The simple request in life is that you love them back,” he wrote on Nov. 24, 2024. In an article published in the Times the same day, he advised the king and queen to mark Beth’s death with a burial, give themselves time and space to mourn her death and take walks in her memory.
Talking about Charles and Camilla’s plan to get a new dog, he said that while “it wasn’t the right approach” for him when his beloved dog Ella died, “it will work for many people.”
Which other British royals own dogs?
Charles and Camilla are not the only dog owners in the British royal family. In fact, love for the furry companions goes up and down the royal family tree: There is, of course, the late Queen Elizabeth II, whose famous corgis are even featured in her newest statue. William, Kate and their three kids also share their home with a dog: The first four-legged family member we got to know was Lupo, an English cocker spaniel that died in 2020. Now, the couple owns a black cocker spaniel named Orla. And Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might have quit the royal family but certainly not its dog tradition. They currently own three dogs: two beagles, named Guy and Mamma Mia, and a black Lab named Pula.
Charles’s sister, Princess Anne, has a weak spot for English bull terriers. Ironically, the senior royal also owes her criminal record to her dogs—the first in the royal family’s history! In 2002, she pleaded guilty in court when one of her dogs bit two children, and had to pay a fine.
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Sources:
- Vanity Fair: “How Kate Middleton and Prince William’s wedding ushered in the modern-day royal media obsession”
- Express: “King Charles reveals new addition to family in candid Royal Variety Performance chat”
- The Standard: “Queen Camilla’s beloved rescue dog Beth dies after being diagnosed with untreatable tumour”
- Sky News: “Queen Camilla’s ‘sad farewell’ to beloved rescue dog and ‘much-loved companion’ Beth”
- Independent: “Queen Camilla left ‘heartbroken’ after her beloved Jack Russell is put down”
- BBC: “Princess Beatrice pregnant with second child”
- Mirror: “King Charles and Queen Camilla open their doors for Christmas photoshoot with rescue dogs”
- X: “@RE_DailyMail”
- Daily Mail: “Queen Camilla reveals she’s welcomed a new puppy named Moley – after death of her beloved Jack Russell, Beth”
