She may be the Princess of Wales, but Kate Middleton is used to mornings that are light on the royal treatment and heavy on the real-life chaos. Think: school runs, lost shoes and a house already in motion before the day has properly begun. Between raising her three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis—and fulfilling her duties within the monarchy, she’s dealing with jam-packed mornings … before the official schedule even starts.
While chatting with guests at a Buckingham Palace garden party on May 8, she offered a glimpse into her home life, and it turns out that even palace mornings have a specific rhythm that kicks off immediately. One detail, in particular, had dog owners everywhere thinking they’d seen (or lived!) this story before.
Read on to find out the first thing Kate says happens every morning inside the royal household.
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How does Kate start each morning?
It turns out royal mornings don’t come with trumpets. They start with something far more familiar: a quick check on the family puppy. At the garden party, Kate told guests that the household’s first order of business is very down to earth. As she put it, “You have to keep them busy. The first thing we do in the morning is check, ‘Has anyone taken Otto out?’”
And Otto, by the sound of it, is fully in his hyperactive era. Kate also joked about his habits, saying he “chews a lot,” which might mean the family is constantly keeping him occupied to avoid coming downstairs to find yet another household item has transformed into a chew toy.
So yes, before the diaries, the meetings and everything else that comes with royal life, the princess starts the day exactly like a lot of others: checking on the royal dog, assessing the damage potential and making sure no one has been too ambitious with their chewing overnight.
Who’s the little furball that rules the royals’ lives?
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That would be Otto, the family’s cocker spaniel, who has very quickly gone from adorable newcomer to full-on household personality. He comes from the litter born to the family’s well-known dog, Orla. She welcomed four puppies in May 2025, and the family announced the arrival on their social media last summer. While all the puppies were clearly adored, Otto is the one who officially joined the day-to-day scramble of royal life.
Kate gave a sneak peek into life with him during a royal engagement back in February, saying things at home had already been taken over by tiny paws. “We’ve got a little puppy,” she said. “He’s only 8 months.” Sure, Otto was just a small fluffball at that point, but he was already making a big impact.
The family formally introduced him more recently, sharing an adorable photo on the official Kensington Palace social media to mark his first birthday on May 1. The caption kept it simple and sweet: “Welcome to the family, Otto! 1 today.”
Now, at just over a year old, Otto is a slightly bigger fluffball with the same puppy energy. Which means the chewing phase hasn’t disappeared. The little pup requires a lot of management, and as Kate has made clear, the only real strategy is to keep him busy.
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of stories on the British royal family, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the fascinating facets of the monarchy. We regularly cover topics including the latest royal news, the history and meaning behind time-honored traditions, and the everyday quirks of everyone’s favorite family members, from Queen Elizabeth’s daily snack to Prince William’s confessions about his home life. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- The Telegraph: “Princess of Wales let children stay up late to watch Aston Villa Victory”
- The Royal Observer: “Princess Kate Opens Up About Her New Morning Routine with William & the Kids—and We Can All Relate”
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