Bumping into the future King of England on your daily dog walk sounds like something from a dream. But that is exactly what happened to one dog walker, who had an unexpected run-in with Prince William when she paid a visit to Windlesham Park.
William, 43, was recording a video with footballer Jill Scott in honour of Fields In Trust, a charity that protects the future of our parks, playgrounds, playing fields, and green spaces, marking their centenary.
While filming in Windlesham Park in Surrey, their shoot was gate-crashed by an adorable pup that was enjoying a run off-lead. The pooch went straight up to Prince William, sparking a quick apology from the owner.
But it took a second for the owner to realise who she was apologising to, and she uttered: “Oh my goodness,” as she realised it was, in fact, Prince William.
The interaction was met with laughter from William, while former queen of the jungle, Jill, said: “Bless her.”
William’s love for dogs
The Prince of Wales is a self-confessed dog lover and has mentioned his family cocker spaniel, Orla, countlessly over the years. Orla even made an on-screen appearance during William’s recent interview with Eugene Levy, for the Canadian actor’s Apple TV+ series, The Reluctant Traveller.
Just like her fellow Wales family members, Orla has been featured in a number of royal photocalls and has been posted about for campaigns such as National Pet Day on the Wales’ official Instagram account.
She was also featured in the video that the Princess of Wales shared to update the public on her cancer journey. Orla was sitting with Kate as she explained her course of chemotherapy had ended and credited time spent in nature as a vital part of her recovery.
Orla was welcomed into the royal family in 2020, as a gift from Kate’s brother James Middleton, after the passing of their first dog, Lupo, in 2020, who was a wedding present for the couple who tied the knot in 2011. Talking about losing Lupo, William said: “So [Orla’s] actually the niece of our other dog, Lupo, who sadly we lost in lockdown.” The Schitts Creek star replied: “Were you there? When it happened?” to which the Prince said, “Yeah, we were all there sadly, it was very sad.”
© InstagramLupo and Orla’s parents were bred by entrepreneur James, who dedicates his life to his six dogs and has publicly spoken about how his first dog, Ella, helped him overcome his battle with depression.
Orla has been through what William told Eugene was the “hardest year he’s had.” The Prince explained over a pint of Guinness: “I’d say 2024 was the hardest year I’ve ever had. You know, life is sent to test us as well, and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are.”
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