LONDON - Prince William's wife, Kate, will not be on her own during her husband's tour of duty in the Falkland Islands: The couple has a new puppy, St. James's Palace said Wednesday.
William, second in line to the throne, is due to begin a routine six-week posting in the South Atlantic archipelago in early February, leaving Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, back home in Britain.
It is thought their new pet will live at their home near the RAF Valley base on Anglesey, northwest Wales, where William, 29, has been working as a Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopter pilot for more than a year.
"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have a male cocker spaniel," a St. James's Palace spokeswoman said.
"It's from a litter known to the couple through a family connection. It's a few months old."
The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that the dog's father is a pet that belongs to the duchess's mother, Carole Middleton.