PETA Asks King Charles to Disown the Spaniel That Bears His Name
PETA has written to Buckingham Palace urging King Charles to disassociate himself from the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, arguing that the royal connection lends prestige to a breed plagued by debilitating health problems. The letter, from PETA president Ingrid Newkirk, was first reported by The Telegraph on 22 August 2026 and picked up by Hello! magazine the following day.
The breed has been part of royal life since the reign of King Charles II in the 17th century — the dog takes its name from the Stuart king who kept a famously large pack of small spaniels. PETA's argument is that the name, and the centuries of royal association behind it, fuel public demand for puppies bred with exaggerated features that compromise their health.
In her letter, Newkirk wrote: "Such words from you would send a powerful message that there is nothing noble about breeding dogs for exaggerated features that condemn generations of them to painful, debilitating disease." Hello!
PETA's case rests on a catalogue of breed-specific health problems. The charity says Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are bred to have skulls so small that more than 70% suffer from syringomyelia, a neurological condition in which the brain is compressed and fluid-filled cavities form along the spinal cord. PETA also classifies the breed as brachycephalic — meaning short-skulled and flat-faced — making them prone to breathing difficulties, chronic ear infections, hip dysplasia, and mitral valve disease, a life-threatening heart condition. Earlier in August, PETA filed a lawsuit against the pet retailer Petland for allegedly selling a Cavalier puppy with severe health defects.
The pushback has been swift. Sir John Hayes, a senior Conservative MP, called PETA's request "nonsense" and pointed to the breed's widespread popularity. Michael Levy, chairman of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, told Hello! that the breed's average lifespan is 11 years, which he said exceeds that of many other dog breeds.
King Charles himself is not believed to own any Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. He and Queen Camilla have two Jack Russells, Bluebell and Beth, both adopted from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in 2017. The King's only personal link to the breed, then, is historical and nominal: the name shared with his 17th-century predecessor, Charles II.
What gives the request its bite is the use of the royal name itself as leverage. PETA is not asking the King to change a law or make a donation. It is asking him to use the prestige attached to his name to change how the public thinks about a breed whose appeal, the charity argues, is built on features that harm the dogs who carry them.
Buckingham Palace has not publicly responded to the letter.
