Kate Middleton and Prince William’s dog, Lupo, has passed away

"He has been at the heart of our family for the past nine years."

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are both dog lovers, and got their beloved black English Cocker Spaniel puppy, Lupo, back in 2011. Lupo was, of course, an important family member in the Cambridge family, and no doubt a bit of a 'big brother' to all three Cambridge children, George, Charlotte and Louis. Over the weekend, Kate and William took to Instagram to share the news that their beloved dog has passed away, and that he will be sorely missed.

Captioning a beautiful picture of Lupo, the couple 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."

Up through the years, Lupo has made an appearance in several of the Cambridge's family portraits, like this adorable one from Prince George's third birthday:

Kate and William initially got Lupo back when Prince William was working for the Royal Air Force in the Falkland Islands, so he could keep Kate company.

Our thoughts go out to them now, losing a family pet truly is heartbreaking.