“Gina” was once called “one of the most famous dogs in the world” by the New York Times, and a 1892 show catalog may explain why: Her owner was listed as, “Her Majesty the Queen’s, Home Park, Windsor.”
Gina was a Pomeranian, or, as her mistress, Queen Victoria called her, a “Toy Pomeranian,” and she was from Florence where she may have been regarded as a white Volpino. Gina was exhibited at the first Crufts, and between her own charm and Victoria’s ownership, the Pomeranian breed became popular with the British who occasionally called the dogs, “Victorian Poms.” At one time, Victoria had 35 Pomeranians in the royal kennels.
We came across this video below which includes the Queen with “Turi,” another of her Pomeranians. The footage is thought to be the earliest known film of the Royals:
Under the clip on the You Tube page is written the following: “This is the first film to feature a British monarch. The film, with its original colour tinting restored, includes footage of Queen Victoria, Tsar Nicholas II and Turi, the Queen’s Pomeranian. Queen Victoria and members of her family were filmed at Balmoral by the son of royal photographer W Downey on 3 October 1896. Downey used a camera made by the firm’s employee TJ Harrison, which ran 60mm film to make the first moving pictures of Victoria. The film also features Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, and an Indian servant tentatively identified as Ahmed Hussain.”
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