In 1903, the Kennel Club in the United Kingdom combined four small spaniel breeds into a single breed of dog and called it the King Charles Spaniel. The other breeds merged into this breed were the Blenheim, Ruby and Prince Charles Spaniels. Originally from East Asia, toy spaniels were first seen in Europe during the 16th century. They were often seen with English royalty and were made famous by their association with King Charles II. They are very closely related to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the two were considered the same breed until 1945 when the Kennel Club divided them into two seperate breeds. This breed has a smaller skull and shorter nose than the Cavalier.