Prince of Wales celebrates birthday with cute puppy picture

The Prince of Wales has marked his 43rd birthday with a heartwarming new photograph featuring his beloved dog, Orla, and her three adorable puppies.

The candid image, captured by the Princess of Wales, was shared by Kensington Palace on Saturday to celebrate William's special day. In the picture, the Prince is seen gently stroking one of the chocolate cocker spaniel puppies, while Orla, the proud mother, stands watchfully behind him.

The accompanying caption, signed by the family, read: "Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies!"

Orla has been a part of the royal household since 2020, joining the family after the unexpected passing of their previous cocker spaniel, Lupo. Lupo, a cherished companion, had been a wedding gift to the couple from the Princess of Wales’s brother, James Middleton.

Orla gave birth to four puppies last month and the photograph was taken in Windsor on a sunny day earlier in June.

It appears to be a quieter birthday for the Prince of Wales than last year, when he took Prince George and Princess Charlotte to see Taylor Swift at Wembley stadium.

William had faced a challenging 12 months in the lead-up to turning 42, with both Kate and his father the King diagnosed with cancer.

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In the week of his birthday this year, the Prince of Wales joined the King and Queen at Royal Ascot on Wednesday.

His wife missed the event for the second successive year and was said to have been disappointed not to join her family at the famous sporting and social event in Berkshire.

On Thursday, the Prince of Wales was in Norwich with Earthshot Prize council member Cate Blanchett to see the hi-tech work of one of the 2023 prize finalists.

The pair donned lab coats to see how Colorifix, an eco-friendly textile dye company, makes its products.

William admitted he needed a “layman’s version” of the scientific explanations and later apologised to staff for “all the stupid questions”.