The Duchess of Cambridge talks to local school children at Hampton Court Palace

It’s not quite The Durrells, but it is a step in the right direction.

Yesterday it emerged that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, already the happy owners of a spaniel called Lupo, have a new, small, furry addition to their household: a hamster called Marvin.

He lives with the Cambridges at their home in Norfolk, Anmer Hall, and is said to be particularly popular with Princess Charlotte, who likes his whiskers.

The existence of Marvin, a royal pet whose role in the Cambridge household has remained undisclosed until now, was revealed as the duchess opened the new Magic Garden at Hampton Court Palace.

As announcements go, it verged on the informal, but was entirely in keeping with Cambridge family tradition: the arrival of royal