Prince William and Kate Middleton announce that their dog Lupo has died: 'We will miss him so much'

The royal family celebrated a significant milestone just days ago — the 73rd wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip — but the week also saw a sad setback. On Sunday, Prince William and Kate Middleton broke the news that Lupo, the black English cocker spaniel they’ve owned for nine years, has died.

The couple, who are parents to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, paid tribute to Lupo on their official royal Instagram page.

“He has been at the heart of our family for the past nine years and we will miss him so much,” their caption reads.

The dog, whose name translated to “wolf” in Italian, was welcomed into the family in 2011, the year William and Kate were married. He also occasionally appeared in their family portraits, including Prince George’s debut, but had been absent in recent images shared on social media.

A cause of death was not mentioned for the dog, whose passing has sparked a flood of condolences from royal-watchers online. His death also comes on the heels of the release of the fourth season of The Crown, which digs deep into the turbulent marriage of William’s parents, Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.

Read more on Yahoo Entertainment:

• Meghan Markle encourages young girls to act on what they believe is right, 'even when it's not popular'

• Prince Harry, Meghan Markle explain why 'it's not enough to just be a bystander' during growing Black Lives Matter movement

• Queen Elizabeth's Windsor Castle shines with blue light to thank pandemic healthcare workers