The History of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: From Royalty to Beloved Pet

The history of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is one of royalty and tragedy. An affectionate and calm-tempered dog breed that has seen its fair share of life, to say the least. Its regal appearance must just give off its connection with royalty, but you wouldn’t assume from their playful personalities their almost disappearance from the planet in the way we know and love them. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the long and challenging history of the adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel origin 

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s ancestors were small toy spaniels that were popular among royalty and nobility during the Renaissance and Tudor periods. These spaniels were often depicted in paintings and portraits alongside prominent figures, including King Charles I and King Charles II. 

King Charles II of England, who reigned from 1660 to 1685, was often associated with the breed and, being a dog breeder himself was often seen being followed by a pack of spaniels and is given the credit for popularizing it. These dogs were said to be by his side during both royal duties and his personal time and can be observed in the paintings of the time. However, the breed of spaniel, as it was back then, was nearing the point of disappearance… until a man came along.

Decline and Transformation of Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Before talking about their revival, let’s talk about where Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are from and how their population declined to the point of extinction. These dogs, as their history might’ve suggested, came from England. After the demise of King Charles II, their population started to dwindle due to competition and the popular appeal for dogs with flat faces. Such breeds included the Pug, the Japanese Chin (coming from Asia), and the French Bulldog. Paintings from this time no longer featured the long-muzzled spaniels. The interbreeding and flattening of faces changed the appearance of the beloved spaniels.

King Charles Spaniel Rising From The Ashes

We mentioned a man that came along when the Spaniels were nearing their, almost, extinction. The man’s name is Roswell Eldridge, an American philanthropist and dog enthusiast who was obsessed with bringing back this royal breed of dogs. 

Spoiler alert: he did, and the man is now best known for his role in the revival of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed in the early 20th century.

Roswell placed an ad in a dog show catalog, challenging British breeders to bring back/save from extinction a royal dog breed. The text he wrote in the catalog of the world-famous dog show, Crufts, described the breed he wanted to revive as:

“Blenheim Spaniels of the Old Type, as shown in pictures of Charles II’s time, long face, no stop, flat skull, not inclined to be domed with spot in centre of skull.”

He offered cash prizes to any breeder that could produce spaniels resembling the dogs from the 17th century. He was no slouch with the prizes either; the first prize was 25 sterling, awarded to the male and female that resembled the photos from the 17th century the most, which is the equivalent of $2,000 today, with the second and third prizes being two and one pound, respectively. He spent a total of, putting it in modern-day currency terms, more than $20k!

Another individual who often gets overshadowed by Roswell is Judith Blunt-Lytton. She was the 16th Baroness Wentworth, who also played a massive role in the revival of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed in the early 20th century. In the 1920s, she worked closely with other breeders to revive the traditional appearance of the breed, using Toy Trawler Spaniels, which were considered to be descended from Charles II’s Spaniels. While her efforts were important and contributed to the breed's revival, they were not entirely successful in restoring the exact characteristics that Roswell Eldridge and others sought.

Fruitful Efforts

Despite the cash prize, nobody really showed any interest in Roswell’s mission. They liked their spaniels as they were, and the cash prize wasn’t tempting enough clearly. However, as they say, exceptions are always there. Four dogs made the cut and joined Roswell’s classes at Crufts in 1926. The breeders had the time to tactfully recreate the breed they sought, and the number of participants within the class also grew in number.

The first, somewhat close, subject emerged. Ann’s Son, a male, won Best of Breed by having had some of the desired characteristics, like a longer muzzle, and was not only used as the template going forward but remained the crown champion for two straight years. 

Modern Day

The breed that came into being thanks to the efforts of everyone involved was more of a lap dog than the more sturdy dog they initially imagined. However, the desire for such a dog eventually faded away, perhaps the adorable allure of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel persuaded them into forgetting about it. Today, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is one of the most popular companion dogs worldwide, beloved for being affectionate and friendly lap dogs that still carry that sense of royalty within them, as they should.

It is hard to fathom what caused Roswell Eldridge, a man who owned banks and ferry lines, to obsess over the revival of a dog breed he saw in an old painting. Some speculate it was the desire to own a dog that was, at the time, not in existence, which prompted him to do all he could to make it a reality. Whatever the reason, we ought to be grateful for his efforts. Today, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is recognized by the British Kennel Club as well as the American Kennel Club.

Conclusion

Beloved across continents, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel has left behind its royal duties of assisting the king to now being our little cuddle buddies to watch the latest series with. Their tale is one of perseverance and overcoming the odds, facilitated by the obsession of a single man wanting some world-famous Cavalier cuddles.