The King Charles Spaniel (also known as the English Toy Spaniel) is a small dog breed of the spaniel type. Thought to have originated in East Asia, toy spaniels were first seen in Europe during the 16th century. They were made famous by their association with King Charles II of Great Britain and Ireland (1630–1685) and have been linked with British royalty since the time of Queen Mary I (1516–1558). In 1899, the price ranged between $50 and $200 for a King Charles or Blenheim, with the Ruby and Prince Charles Spaniel ranging between $50 and $150. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel originated from a competition held by American Roswell Eldridge in 1926. Although Eldridge did not live to see the new breed created, several breeders banded together and created the first breed club for the new Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in 1928, with the Kennel Club initially listing the new breed as 'King Charles Spaniels, Cavalier type'. In 1945, the Kennel Club recognised the new breed in its own right.