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King Charles Is 'Besotted' With This New Addition To The Royal Family...Another Puppy!
King Charles is smitten with the newest member of the royal family: a puppy called Snuff!
According to The Sun, the King, 76, is the proud new owner of a Lagotto Romagnolo dog he received as a gift four weeks ago.
"Charles is besotted with his puppy. He hasn't had one since Tigga," an insider told the outlet in a piece published on Feb. 28. Tigga was the King's beloved Jack Russel terrier who died in 2002 at age 18, making Snuff his first personal pet in years.
"The breed is a truffle-hunter. Charles enjoys mushroom foraging, so they have a lot in common," the source said about the history of Snuff's breed and how it connects to the King's hobby.
King Charles and Tigga at a polo match in Windsor in June 1976.UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty
PetMD describes the Lagotto Romagnolo as an ancient Italian water dog bred to sniff out truffles, known for their small to medium size, curly coats and active personalities. Mushroom foraging is one of the King's many interests and an affinity he may have passed down to his grandchildren Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. While visiting a community garden in south Wales last week, Kate Middleton revealed that her kids thought a giant puffball mushroom she recently found was "fascinating."
Though Lagotto Romagnolos are an Italian breed and Italy is where King Charles is heading on his next state visit in April, palace sources told the Sun that Snuff was a private gift and is not linked to the upcoming trip. It was announced in February that the King and Queen Camilla would travel to Italy and meet Pope Francis in early April. The couple is expected to be abroad for their 20th wedding anniversary on April 9.
While Snuff the pup has reportedly charmed King Charles, he is not the only new pet at the palace! While meeting a guide dog at the Beaney House of Art & Knowledge in Canterbury on Feb. 25, Queen Camilla revealed, "I've just got a new puppy," and shared a bit about the dog.
The Queen, 77, said that the rescue dog was eight weeks old and described its breed as "a bit of everything," along with the provenance of the unique name.
Queen Camilla at The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge on Feb. 25, 2025 in Canterbury, England.Chris Jackson/Getty
"She's called Moley, looks just like a mole," the Queen said in a video shared to X by royals reporter Rebecca English.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that Moley was born on Dec. 26, which is celebrated as Boxing Day in the U.K. Moley's mother is half Jack Russell Terrier, while her father's breed is unknown.
Moley is a rescue pet from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in South London, which Queen Camilla backs as patron. The Queen previously adopted her dogs Beth and Bluebell from Battersea, and the palace shared the sad news in November 2024 that Beth died. PEOPLE understands that Beth had an untreatable tumor and had to be put down.
Queen Camilla and Beth at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in December 2020.Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty
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A few days later, King Charles shared that he and his wife the Queen were planning to expand their pack by adopting another dog.
"We're going to get a new one," he told hosts Amanda Holden and Alan Carr at the Royal Variety Performance on Nov. 22.
Buckingham Palace Is Packed With Puppies! Here's What To Know About King Charles's Adorable New Dog
If you were a member of the British royal family and could have literally anything you wanted, what would you choose? A luxury car? A tiara dripping with diamonds? Afternoon tea and scones with your all-time favorite musician? Well, if you're King Charles and Queen Camilla, the answer to that is puppies—lots of them—and we can't say we disagree with that choice!
Within weeks, Buckingham Palace has welcomed not just one but two new dogs. First, Camilla adopted a rescue dog, and shortly thereafter, Charles expanded the brood with his own canine companion. And according to the Sun, Charles is absolutely "besotted" with the new addition to the family, who happens to be an incredibly rare (and incredibly adorable) breed.
We know, you want details—and we have them. Read on to find out all about the latest star of Buckingham Palace.
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What do we know about King Charles's new dog?Charles's new dog is a Lagotto Romagnolo puppy named Snuff. And despite now residing in the official royal palaces and estates of the British monarchy, Snuff isn't British but instead a proud Italian, which you may have guessed from the breed's name. Lagotto Romagnolos hail from northern Italy, specifically the region around Ravenna, the capital city of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century.
According to media reports, Charles hadn't planned to get a dog but received Snuff as a surprise gift. Unfortunately, it hasn't been revealed (yet) who was behind this excellent gift, but we might find out in April when the king is scheduled to travel to Snuff's home region. No promises, though, as Buckingham Palace was quick to say that Snuff was a private gift that had nothing to do with the king's state visit.
We also haven't seen any pictures of Snuff yet, but we're keeping our eyes glued to the royals' official Instagram account for when he makes his big social media debut.
What's so special about this breed?
Giacomo Augugliaro/Getty Images
The small- to medium-sized Lagotto Romagnolo is a relatively rare breed, especially outside of its native Italy. While the breed has been recognized in the U.K. Since 1991, there were only 327 of these puppies registered in the country as of 2023. Originally a duck hunter (hence the name—Lagotto means "curly coated duck retriever" in one Italian dialect), the dog later became known for hunting truffles, a passion Snuff shares with Charles. Talk about the perfect pairing, not to mention the perfect name for a truffle-hunting dog!
Lagotto Romagnolos are known to be friendly, lively and smart dogs that enjoy long walks and are exceptionally family-friendly. They are also super cute, thanks to their thick wool-like coat, which needs to be groomed several times a week. With that oh, so pettable curly fur, they look a lot like poodles or small Portuguese water dogs. Their coloring can be anything from white to shades of brown and orange or a mix of all. Fun fact: Lagotto Romagnolos also tend to bark a lot, so Charles may need some serious training to get Snuff, well, up to snuff in the manners department.
Unsurprisingly, Charles's new dog instantly turned the Lagotto Romagnolo into a household name in the U.K. And beyond. According to the Kennel Club, the largest British organization devoted to dog health, welfare and training (which Charles is patron of), searches for the breed skyrocketed by more than 700% after the royal announcement.
Why is Charles particularly excited about the puppy?While Charles and Camilla have been parents to various rescue dogs over the years, the king hasn't had his own puppy since his beloved dog, Tigga, passed away more than two decades ago. A Jack Russell terrier, Tigga had been with Charles from the 1980s (when Charles and Diana were married) until 2002, when Tigga died at the age of 18. Charles adored Tigga so much that he buried him on the grounds of Highgrove House.
Who is the other new puppy in the royal family?That would be Moley, a Jack Russell mix adopted by Camilla earlier this year. Camilla announced the news on Feb. 28, during an official visit to Canterbury. Born on Boxing Day, Moley owes her name to her appearance. "It looks just like a mole," the queen told a group at an event, and she too seems completely besotted. (And yes, that's our new favorite British word.)
Both Snuff and Moley join Bluebell, the royal couple's older Jack Russell, who was adopted from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, an animal organization that Camilla has been a patron of since 2016. That's also where she adopted Beth, another Jack Russell, who had to be put down late last year after being diagnosed with an untreatable tumor.
Those aren't the only dogs in the royal family, of course. In the unlikely case that Charles and Camilla's canine brood ever gets bored, they can always play with Muick and Fergus, the late Queen Elizabeth's corgis (well, a corgi and a dorgi, respectively), who now reside with Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
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King Charles Gets First New Dog In 20 Years – And They Have 'a Lot In Common'
The King's new dog is a breed made for mushroom foraging (Picture: Getty)King Charles has welcomed a new dog for the first time in more than 20 years.
The monarch is reportedly 'besotted' with the young dog, nicknamed Snuff, a lagotta romagnolo breed from Italy.
Queen Camilla adopted two adorable pooches in 2017 from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, making them the first rescue dogs to take up residence at Buckingham Palace – but Snuff is the first new dog since Charles became King.
The King and Queen now have multiple dogs, as Queen Camilla recently said she adopted another rescue dog named Moley.
Charles' most famous dog, Tigga, passed away in 2002 at the ripe old age of 18, and was buried in the grounds of his home, Highgrove House.
Snuff, the newest pup, was a 'private gift'. A palace insider told The Sun: 'Charles is besotted with his puppy. He hasn't had one since Tigga. The breed is a truffle-hunter. Charles enjoys mushroom foraging, so they have a lot in common.'
The sweet dogs were initially bred in Italy (Picture: Getty) Charles adopted Tigga when he was with Princess Diana (Picture: Getty)In November, Queen Camilla was heartbroken after her 'much-loved companion', Beth the rescue dog, died.
The Jack Russell terrier was adopted by the queen from the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in London in 2011.
Before becoming royalty, Beth was handed into the animal rescue service aged just three months by a family unable to care for her.
Beth had long been at Camilla's side – literally. When she was crowned, Beth and her other dog Bluebell were featured on her coronation gown.
But the pet was put down as she had an untreatable tumour.
Beth (left) and Bluebell (midair) were adored by the couple (Picture: PA)'A sad farewell to Beth, the Queen's much-loved companion from @Battersea_ Dogs and Cats Home who brought such joy, whether on walkies, helping on official duties, or curled up by the fire,' Buckingham Palace said on X.
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home added: 'We're sad to hear that Beth, HM The Queen's rescue dog, has passed away.
'Her Majesty, our Patron, rehomed Beth from Battersea in 2011 and we have many fond memories of Beth visiting our centres over the years.
'Our thoughts are with Their Majesties at this time.'
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.Co.Uk.
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