Follow us on Twitter: @y7lifestyle

Kate Middleton was at the front of a royal slip when she revealed that Lupo, the Italian word for wolf, was the name of her dog to school children at Rose Hill Primary School.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed the black cocker spaniel pup into their home in early December last year, but kept tight-lipped on its name. The revelation comes three weeks after royal aides refused to say the name, believing it was an invasion of privacy for the royal couple.

Kate was on a visit to Oxford to assist with promoting one of the charities she has become a patron of - The Art Room - which uses activities like drawing and painting to help children with low self-esteem.

School teacher at Rose Hill, Lisa Hancock, said that Kate told the class the name of her dog when she was given a soft toy dog.

'The duchess said she wanted to name it after her dog at home... I think it was called Lupin or something,' she said.

Officials then confirmed the name of Kate's dog as Lupo, but said there was no significance in it other than the fact that Kate and William had liked the name.

The cocker spaniel, whose father is reportedly a dog owned by Kate's mother Carole Middleton, already has its own Twitter account, going by the name of @HRH_Lupo, with a bio saying 'Prince among royal pooches. Pet of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Snapping at Nicholas Witchell’s [BBC Royal Correspondent] heels.'

First tweet from the account said: "Damn! My name's been found out by @valentinelow in The Times. Kate's in doghouse when Wills gets back".

Lupo is believed to live with Kate and William at their north Wales home near William's normal RAF base in Anglesey.

GALLERY: Celebrities with their pets