Prince William and Kate Middleton's Family Dog, Lupo, Has Passed Away

• Late Sunday morning, in a post on Instagram, Prince William and Kate Middleton shared some truly sad news with their fans and supporters: Their beloved family dog, Lupo, passed away last weekend.
  
• The couple shared the news on the official Kensington Royal Instagram account, writing that Lupo "has been at the heart of our family for the past nine years and we will miss him so much."
  
• Over the years, Lupo has been photographed out with the Cambridge family several times and was beloved not just by Will and Kate, but by other members of the royal family as well, including William's younger brother, Prince Harry.
  

Prince William and Kate Middleton just announced some really devastating news on Instagram: Their beloved family dog, Lupo, has passed away.

Lupo, a black English Cocker Spaniel, was born in late 2011 and was bred from Ella, a dog that belonged to Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton. Lupo's name was also a sweet nod to Kate's family and was reportedly chosen as an homage to the family name of her great-grandmother, whose maiden name was Lupton. Will and Kate originially decided to adopt Lupo to keep Kate company while William was away in the Falklands Islands on duty with the RAF.

In their post paying tribute to Lupo, Will and Kate wrote: 

"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. - W C"

Over the years, Lupo was an important part of the Cambridge family and was regularly spotted attending polo matches with his humans:

Even Lupo's "uncle," Prince Harry, was photographed giving him love:

Lupo was even reported to have helped Will and Kate choose George's name. Royal legend holds that the couple wrote several of their top name picks on slips of paper and scattered them on the floor and that "George" was the name Lupo walked to. Whether that story is true or not (but we hope it is), Lupo was prominently featured in one of the first official pictures of George—and George was already staring lovingly at the family pup.

Clearly, Lupo was loved dearly and will be missed. Our hearts and thoughts are with the Cambridges during this difficult time.