Kate Middleton's Brother Honors The Queen By Giving His Puppy A Special Name

The late Queen Elizabeth II was widely known for her love of corgis, having owned at least 30 of the short and stocky dogs in her lifetime. According to Us Weekly, her beloved pups were rumored to have their own bedroom at Buckingham Palace close to her own, and the queen didn't mind if they shared her room on occasion. Roger Mugford, an animal psychologist who attended the dogs at Buckingham Palace, told the publication, "When she's talking about her dogs or her horses, you see a completely different side to her. She relaxes. Dogs are great levelers, and they're not influenced by social status, which must be a great relief to her. No wonder she enjoys being around them."

At least one person connected to the royal family seems to share the late monarch's passionate love of canines. Kate Middleton's younger brother, James, makes his love of dogs known in his Instagram profile, which reads "Dog Dad to Ella, Zulu, Inka, Luna, Mabel & Nala" and notes that he is an ambassador for the nonprofit organization Pets As Therapy in Britain. Only a few weeks after the queen's death, he's also revealed he will honor the queen by giving one of his new puppies a regal name.

James Middleton recently announced on Instagram that his beloved golden retriever Mabel had eight healthy puppies, and he told Hello! Magazine he plans to give one of the pups a name that had special meaning to Queen Elizabeth. "In light of recent events, I wanted a name that is a touching tribute to the late queen," he told the publication, noting the male puppy will be called Bertie. Bertie was the nickname friends and family used for her father, George VI. Furthermore, Bertie the pooch has been gifted to Guide Dogs, an organization that raises and offers support dogs to people with vision impairment in Britain. 

The 35 year old, who got married in 2021, visited the charity where he personally handed the young dog over. "It was incredible that the queen dedicated her life to service, and in many ways Bertie the dog will be dedicating his life to service too," he said. Middleton — who founded Ella & Co., the happiness and well-being company for dogs — often posts about his four-legged best friends and animal charities on social media, where he has also encouraged followers to "just do your best to be present, stick your head out the car window, feel the breeze on your face, and live as your dog does. There's so much we can learn from them," he wrote in July.