King Charles Shares He and Queen Camilla Will Get New Dog After Death of Beloved Dog Beth

King Charles gave an update on how he and Queen Camilla plan to add to their family while at the Royal Variety Performance. 

On Monday, Nov. 18, Buckingham Palace announced that Beth, one of the Queen’s Jack Russell Terriers, had died over the weekend. PEOPLE understands that Beth had an untreatable tumor and was put down humanely. On Friday, Nov. 22, the King, 76, spoke to Royal Variety Performance hosts Amanda Holden and Alan Carr, telling them that he and the Queen plan to get a new dog, according to The Daily Express. Camilla, 77, wasn’t in attendance at the performance, pulling out of attending just hours before the show because of lingering effects of a chest infection that the palace announced she’d contracted earlier this month.

In the Queen’s absence, Holden gave the King condolences to pass on to Camilla and revealed that she has a special connection to Beth, who was adopted from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2011. Camilla is patron of the organization, and Holden is an ambassador.

“I felt for her — I really felt for her when that happened,” Holden said, who added that the King then said, “‘We’re going to get a new one.’ ” To this admission, Holden added, “‘Yes, but get it from Battersea, please.’ ”

“He did so well to be here,” Holden continued. “He was really funny. I’ve always said out of everyone he’s got the best sense of humor in the whole royal family. They’re very down to earth — that’s what it is for me. You don’t feel intimidated when you meet them at all.”

Camilla also adopted another Jack Russell Terrier, Bluebell, from Battersea in 2012, the year after she adopted Beth. Beth and Bluebell mean so much to Camilla that, when she and Charles were crowned at their 2023 Coronation, the Queen had a doodle of her dogs embroidered near the trim of her gown by designer Bruce Oldfield, along with the names of her children and grandchildren.

When announcing Beth’s passing, the palace called her “the Queen’s much-loved companion” and added she “brought such joy, whether on walkies, helping on official duties or curled up by the fire.”

Charles and Camilla’s country home, Highgrove, paid further tribute to Beth in its Christmas decorations, as The Telegraph reported that among the ornaments on the couple’s Christmas tree there is an embroidered motif of Beth sporting a red bandana decorated with a crown. Bluebell also makes an appearance — wearing a crown, no less! — and the decorations were actually introduced in September and placed on the tree in early November, before it was known that Beth was ill.

On Sunday, Nov. 24, James Middleton — the brother of Kate Middleton — wrote an essay for The Times about how difficult it is to lose a pet. James lost his cocker spaniel Ella in early 2023, and even named his 2024 memoir, Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life, in her honor.

“The reason that losing a dog often feels harder than losing a relative or friend is, I think, because the way they love us is so uncomplicated,” James opened his essay. “Their simple request in life is that you love them back — and with that, there’s something so honest and pure. They don’t care who you are, even if you are the Queen of England. And Beth, the Queen’s Jack Russell who died last week, certainly didn’t care about her owner’s royal status; she just appreciated the love.”

He offered advice on how to cope with a beloved dog’s passing, including “don’t rush into getting another dog.”

“Everyone’s different,” James wrote. “It was reported yesterday that the King and Queen are planning to get a new dog. That will work for many people, but it wasn’t the right approach for me. I wanted to fill that void with memories and appreciation for Ella before considering another dog.”

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He added that it was important to take time to mourn the loss, writing, “Like anything, you can’t sweep grief under the carpet or bottle it up. It will just come back in another form. So embrace it. Grieving is a consequence of love.”