If there was an apex to the popularity of the Clumber Spaniel in England, it might have been during the days that British royalty – especially King Edward VII – hunted over the Sandringham Kennel Clumbers, dogs that were his pride and joy. The breed had been introduced by his father, Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort (husband). In her diary entry from October 16th, 1840, she wrote of how she “walked out directly after breakfast before Albert went to shoot. He had his seven fine Clumber Spaniels and we went into the Slopes, with such a funny old Gamekeeper, Walters, in order that I should see how the dogs found out their game. They are such dear, nice dogs.”

Edward’s own son, George V would also shoot over them. Interestingly, George did not allow his Clumbers to retrieve even though the broad muzzle of the breed allows it to retrieve a variety of game. For this job, only Labrador Retrievers were used.

We had hoped that an anecdote we read about George’s son, Edward VIII, was false, but sadly, we found several sources that also wrote of Edward’s disdain for the breed. Not a fan of hunting to begin with, Edward disliked the dogs drooling on his shoes. He was further incensed at his father’s refusal to allow him to marry the American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. When Edward learned that his father had died, he ordered all the Clumber Spaniels at Sandringham to be shot or drowned. A few puppies were smuggled out at night by the estate’s gamekeeper which enabled the champion line to be continued,  but almost 100 animals in total were killed, including pregnant bitches and puppies (Eve Marar, DOG WORLD, Nov., 1994). In a piece written by Leah Garchik in the Courier Journal, it was further reported that on the day following what could only be described as a massacre, Edward learned that he had succeeded his father as the President of the RSPCA. According to Garchik, a code of silence kept the incident secret for years. One imagines that Queen Elizabeth, a passionate dog lover, was horrified by this chapter in the family history. Upon reading this, we’re personally inclined to think horrible thoughts about the man who abdicated the throne in order to “marry the woman I love,” even though he would go on to own Pugs and Cairn Terriers.

Edward VIII aside, the Royal’s affinity for the Clumber Spaniel made it become known as the “Aristocrat of the Spaniels”

Image: King George V’s kennel man, Alfred Higgs, with the Sandringham Clumber Spaniels