History of the Cavalier
(adapted and condensed from the book "Cavalier King Charles Spaniels" by Beverly Cuddy, T.F.H. Publications)
In the last five hundred or more years, small dogs of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel type have brought immense pleasure to the lives of royalty, world leaders and countless ordinary men women and children. Few other breeds can claim an ancestry dating back to possibly the 13th century. The Cavalier--or the small Toy Spaniel as it was described--was the companion of the most aristocratic members of society. The beloved pets frequently appeared in family portraits, providing breed historians with excellent visual records.
While the earliest history of the breed is a subject for speculation--some trace its origin to the 13th century when Italy and China enjoyed a lively mercantile relationship--it is sure that the Toy Spaniel was in England by 1554. A painting by Antonio Moro depicts Queen Mary I and Philip of Spain with a couple of Toy Spaniels at their feet. Earlier than this, Henry VIII had made a decree that only "some small spanyells for the ladies" could be kept in court. In 1570, an essay entitled "De Canibus Britannicus" was produced by Dr. Johannes Caius, Queen Elizabeth I's chief physician. It catalogued all breeds of dog known at the time. He included "Spaniel gentle or comforter--a delicate, neat and pretty kind of dog...chamber companions, pleasant play fellows"--words just as appropriate today.
In 1587, a small black and white spaniel was reputed to have been unable to save her cherished mistress's life. After Mary Queen of Scots' execution, her little dog was found hiding beneath her petticoats, loyal to the last. In 1648, when the second civil war led to Charles I's being held captive in Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, his Toy Spaniel named "Rogue" was by his side. When he was beheaded the following year, Rogue was taken by one of the Roundheads and flaunted around London.
However, it was from King Charles II that the breed took its name. On the day the King returned to England from exile, Samuel Pepys wrote in his diary: "The King was rowed ashore in the Admiral's barge, while I followed in a smaller boat with Mr. Mansell, one of the footman and a dog the King loved." In fact, Charles was rarely seen without his dogs, causing Mr. Pepys to write that he was always in trouble for "playing with his dogs all the while, and not minding his business." Lord Rochester wrote: "His very dog at Council Board, Sits grave and wise as any Lord." The King's pets were given the freedom to do as they wished at court, and this was sometimes a cause for resentment among those who were not dog lovers.
Charles's brother, James II, succeeded him, and he proved to be another dog lover. When he was forced to abandon ship off the Scottish coast, he gave the order "save the dogs," adding "and Colonel Churchill" after a pause. Luckily, Colonel Churchill was saved. He later became the Duke of Marlborough and went on to keep his own red and white Spaniels. While fighting abroad in the Battle of Blenheim, his wife Sarah the Duchess is reputed to have been in a very anxious state at home waiting for news. For comfort, she stroked one of their Spaniels that was soon to have puppies. She repeatedly pressed her thumb on the dog's head. When news of the great battle victory arrived, five puppies were born bearing red thumbprints on their foreheads. This mark became known as the Blenheim spot.
In 1886, The Toy Spaniel Club was founded. The breed was divided into four types according to color--King Charles (black and whites, or black and tans), Blenheim (red and white), Rubies (solid reds), and Tricolors, described as Prince Charles or King Charles I Spaniels. In 1902, the club decided to change its name to the King Charles Spaniel Club but the Kennel Club, the regulatory body of the British canine world, wanted the breed to known as English Toy Spaniels. It was not just the breed club that wanted to ensure royal affiliation--King Edward VII informed the Kennel Club that he wished the breed to be known as the King Charles Spaniel.
Re-birth of the old-type Toy Spaniel can be traced to an advertisement in the catalog of Charles Cruft's Dog Show in 1926: "Blenheim Spaniels of the Old Type, as shown in the pictures of Charles II time; long face, no stop, flat skull not inclined to be domed, with a spot on the centre of the skull. The first prizes in classes 947 and 948 are given by Roswell Eldridge, Esq., of New York, and will be continued for five years. Prizes go to nearest to type required. The first year's classes attracted only four entries, but a few people became quite inspired by the crusade to revive the old breed and this hard core group banded together. In 1928, they formed the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club.
The Cavalier classes at Cruft's began to attract larger entries. In the years 1926-29, the winner for Best Dog was Ann's Son, a key figure in the breed's history. Ann's Son was a Blenheim of such outstanding quality that he attracted many new admirers to the breed. The ancestry of all Cavalier King Charles Spaniels today can be traced back to this dog.
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