A paw-fect royal affair! Prince William, Princess Kate, Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the British royal family have the opportunity to meet a variety of individuals at the public outings. Though, some of their special guests are a lot cuter and furrier.
“Who do you think Alfie, the therapy dog preferred?” the official Kensington Palace Twitter account wrote in January 2022, alongside photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall taking turns holding the cockapoo.
The royal couple — who wed in April 2011 — made a surprise appearance at Clitheroe Community Hospital in Lancashire, England, where they met with local medical professionals who worked across the rural community in response to the coronavirus pandemic. To assist in their efforts, the NHS Charities created a staff wellbeing room to promote mental health with space to play with their two therapy dogs: Jasper and Alfie.
The University of St Andrews alums — who received a pet canine in January 2021 from her brother, James Middleton — have frequently met all sorts of animals during their joint outings.
Several months later, Will and Kate — who share children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — visited baby goats during a March 2022 St. David’s Day outing at Pant Farm in Wales.
“Understanding about the importance of the agricultural industry to people in rural communities,” the pair’s official Instagram Story captioned a farm photo of the couple petting the goats. “Working with local businesses, promoting local produce and sustainable practices you can really see how farms like this are the lifeblood of the community.”
The long-reigning monarch, who was a doting dog parent to her many corgis prior to her September 2022 death, also had the chance to meet many animals through her public appearances.
Elizabeth and Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at age 99, previously opened the Centre for Elephant Care at Whipsnade Zoo in England where they had the opportunity to meet the mammals during the April 2017 visit. They also were able to feed the elephants a banana treat during the outing.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, for their part, met a koala during their first tour as a married couple in October 2018. The California residents — who stepped back from their position as senior royals in 2020 — stopped by the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, where they met the cub and her two babies who were named for the Archewell cofounders. The duo were also introduced to a short-legged echidna called Lynx.
“We are incredibly honored to have had The Duke and Duchess of Sussex open our brand new state-of-the-art Institute of Science & Learning today,” the facility tweeted at the time. “This facility really is a game-changer for research and conservation, offering never-before seen learning opportunities for students.”
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Scroll below to see the British royals meeting animals through the years: