 Charles II of England was very fond of the toy spaniel , which is why the dogs now carry his name , although there is no evidence that the modern breeds are descended from his particular dogs . He is credited with causing an increase in popularity of the breed during this period . Samuel Pepys ' diary describes how the spaniels were allowed to roam anywhere in Whitehall Palace , including during state occasions . In an entry dated 1 September 1666 , describing a council meeting , Pepys wrote , " All I observed there was the silliness of the King , playing with his dog all the while and not minding the business . " Charles ' sister Princess Henrietta was painted by Pierre <unk> holding a small red and white toy @-@ sized spaniel . Judith Blunt @-@ Lytton , 16th Baroness Wentworth , writing in her 1911 work Toy Dogs and Their Ancestors , theorised that after Henrietta 's death at the age of 26 in 1670 , Charles took her dogs for himself . 
