CAVALIER DOG BREED

The breed’s royal lineage includes a dramatic and somewhat macabre historical footnote involving Mary, Queen of Scots. When she was executed for treason in 1587, her small spaniel (a direct ancestor of the modern Cavalier) was reportedly found hiding beneath the folds of her heavy velvet skirts after her beheading. The terrified little dog refused to leave his mistress’s side and had to be physically removed by the executioners. Afterward, the dog was washed, cared for by Mary’s servants, and lived out the rest of its life at her estate, cementing the breed’s early reputation for fierce, unwavering loyalty.