The Prince and Princess of Wales’ three children have helped name Australia Zoo’s newest family member – an eastern grey kangaroo joey.

Conservationist, wildlife photographer and TV host Robert Irwin introduced the newcomer to the world on Friday in an Instagram video from the family zoo on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

“Gidday, it’s Robert Irwin here with a couple of my mates,” he said in the post, which was also shared with the more than 17 million followers on William and Kate’s official account.

Sitting among a group of friendly kangaroos, which he described as the icon of Australia, the late Steve Irwin’s son said that his friends, “the Wales family”, helped name the zoo’s “beautiful new joey”.

“Our new joey is Cwtch, which is Welsh for cuddle – the absolute perfect name for a joey kangaroo, cos at this age they love a cuddle and they spend most of their time inside that pouch with their mum.”

As if on cue, the newcomer poked his sleepy head out of his mum’s pouch.

“I want to say a particular thank you to Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte for your help in finding this little one a brilliant name,” Irwin added.

The update comes less than a week after the Prince and Princess of Wales shared  a new photo and video of Princess Charlotte for her 11th birthday, both shot during the family’s Easter break in Cornwall.

William and Kate shared a new family photo on their recent wedding anniversary. Photo: X

William and Kate also recently shared a relaxed family photo featuring Charlotte, George, 12, and Louis, 8, as the couple celebrated their 15^th wedding anniversary.

Prince William is a conservation advocate and founder of the Earthshot Prize, a global initiative that presents annual environmental awards recognising “climate leadership and problem-solving”.

Robert Irwin is an ambassador for Earthshot, and has also collaborated with William on other conservation projects.

In the video introducing Cwtch (pronounced “Cutch”), he thanked the Wales family for their support of Australia Zoo’s wildlife conservation efforts.

“It is so important that we conserve all of our animals – including the icons, the kangaroos.

“These guys play a very important role in the Australian bush, and out there in the ecosystem they are just crucial… so Cwtch is now proudly part of our family at Australia Zoo.”

Irwin, who was recently announced as the host of a new US reality-television show called Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, also had Prince William’s support during the 2025 season of Dancing with the Stars in America, which he ultimately won with pro partner Witney Carson.

During rehearsals, the dancers received a video message from the prince, who joked that while Irwin’s “twinkle toes are going off elsewhere”, he was needed at the 2025 Earthshot Awards in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

@robertirwin This was an incredible surprise to get during our dance rehearsals. Thank you Prince William for cheering us on and giving us the encouragement to go out and get our first perfect score on @Dancing with the Stars #DWTS ♬ original sound – Robert Irwin

A couple of weeks later, in a video message welcoming guests at the 2025 Steve Irwin Gala in Brisbane, William thanked the young wildlife warrior for continuing his father’s legacy.

“We couldn’t have asked for a more passionate and committed ambassador in Robert – and he’s not a bad dancer, either,” the prince said.