History of King Charles Spaniel in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: April 26, 2026

The King Charles Spaniel is a small spaniel breed created in 1903 by The Kennel Club through the merger of four toy spaniel breeds. These breeds were the Blenheim, Ruby, and Prince Charles Spaniels. Each breed contributed a unique coat color, resulting in the four distinct coat colors seen in King Charles Spaniels today.

1903: The Kennel Club combined toy spaniel breeds

In 1903, The Kennel Club merged four distinct toy spaniel breeds, including the Blenheim, Ruby, and Prince Charles Spaniels, under the single title of King Charles Spaniel.

1903: Kennel Club's attempt to amalgamate spaniel breeds

In 1903, the Kennel Club's attempt to combine the King James, Prince Charles, Blenheim, and Ruby spaniels into one breed faced opposition, which was later resolved by King Edward VII's preference for the name "King Charles Spaniel".

1904: American Kennel Club combines breeds

In 1904, the American Kennel Club followed the Kennel Club's lead and combined four breeds into a single breed known as the English Toy Spaniel, while the Japanese Spaniel was recognized as its own breed.

1911: Judith Blunt-Lytton's theory on Charles II dogs

In 1911, Judith Blunt-Lytton, 16th Baroness Wentworth, theorized in her work "Toy Dogs and Their Ancestors", that King Charles II took his sister Princess Henrietta's dogs after her death in 1670.

July 1918: Romanov family tragedy and the King Charles Spaniel

In July 1918, during the shooting of the Romanov family, Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia owned a King Charles Spaniel, which was later found dead at the site believed to be where the family's bodies were burnt.

1926: Roswell Eldridge's competition

In 1926, American Roswell Eldridge held a competition offering a prize fund for Blenheim Spaniels of the old type, which eventually led to the development of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

1928: First breed club for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

In 1928, breeders created the first breed club for the new Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, initially listed by the Kennel Club as "King Charles Spaniels, Cavalier type".

1945: Kennel Club recognizes Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

In 1945, the Kennel Club recognized the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel as a breed in its own right.

1960: Princess Margaret attends Princess Anne's birthday with her dog Rolly

In 1960, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, attended Princess Anne's tenth birthday party with her King Charles Spaniel, Rolly.

1988: Finnish breed club studies on patella luxation begin

In 1988, the Finnish breed club began conducting surveys on the occurrences of patella luxation in King Charles Spaniels, with occurrences ranging from 5.3% to 50% through 2007.

1997: American Kennel Club recognizes Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

In 1997, the American Kennel Club recognized the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

2003: King Charles identified as Vulnerable Native Breed

In 2003, the King Charles Spaniel was identified as a Vulnerable Native Breed by the Kennel Club.

2006: Docking and cropping bans

Since 2006, tail docking and ear cropping has been illegal in the UK and some other European Countries.

2007: Finnish breed club studies on patella luxation end

In 2007, the Finnish breed club ended conducting surveys on the occurrences of patella luxation in King Charles Spaniels, which had been tracked since 1988 and ranged from 5.3% to 50%.

2008: BBC documentary Pedigree Dogs Exposed criticism

In 2008, the BBC documentary "Pedigree Dogs Exposed" criticized the breeding of King Charles Spaniels and other breeds, highlighting issues with syringomyelia.

Loading Video...

2010: King Charles Spaniel popularity comparison

In 2010, the King Charles Spaniel was less popular than the Cavalier in both the UK and the US; the Cavalier was the 23rd most popular breed, while the English Toy Spaniel was the 126th according to the American Kennel Club.