The Duchess of Edinburgh is back to her royal duties after celebrating her 60th birthday on Monday, and the dog pictures are adorable.
On Tuesday 21st January, Duchess Sophie visited Dogs for Autism in Alton, Hampshire, a charity which provides assistance dogs to autistic people of all ages.
Whilst on her visit to the organisation’s training centre, she seemed to make a paw-perfect match with a nine-week-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Puppy called Louis.
The tiny pup was seen in photos affectionately cuddling up to the Duchess, who looked delighted by her new friend.
© Alamy Stock PhotoAn inseparable pair, Louis sat on the Duchess’s lap with his small dog toy, with Sophie even leaning down to give the puppy a kiss.
On duty, the Duchess learned that the dog was bred by a specialist cardiac vet, meaning that the breed is dedicated to eradicating the health challenges that can affect cavaliers.
Louis even has a cute older sibling called Lexi, who is already part of the Dogs for Autism team.
© Alamy Stock PhotoDogs for Autism is the first charity exclusively providing autism assistance dogs whose mission is to provide a positive impact on the lives of autistic people.
Whilst visiting, the Duchess was introduced to several assistance dogs and their partners, who shared their experience of the assistance dogs have on their lives.
She even headed to the training center where she met the assistant training dogs Buddy, Jack, and Finn. One of which, Buddy, appears as a regular on ITV’S This Morning. Aside from the dogs, Sophie met staff members, trustees, charity supporters and local volunteers of the charity.
© Alamy Stock PhotoPuppy love
It’s not the first instance Duchess Sophie has shown her appreciation as a dog lover.
She is a patron of the charity Guide Dogs, which provides for children with vision impairments, who learn to develop their own independent living skills with the companionship of their dog.
© UK Press via Getty ImagesBack in October 2024, Sophie visited the Guide Dogs’ Reading Hub where she joined in with children decorating and crafting for their guide dogs.
Many fans praised the royal for her heartwarming work after Buckingham Palace uploaded a video from the engagement. Not to mention her hands-on dedication to helping the children make dog biscuits.
As for her own pets, she shares three dogs called Mole, Teal and Teasel, with her husband Prince Edward – and a tortoise called Marmite.
