The Four Colours of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is admired not only for its affectionate temperament but also for its beautiful, silky coat, which comes in four officially recognised colours: Blenheim, Tricolour, Ruby, and Black and Tan. These colours are not simply aesthetic variations — each has a long historical background and is shaped by specific genetic mechanisms. This article explores the origins of each colour, which are most common and rare, and explains in accessible terms how these colours are produced genetically.
Historical Background of Cavalier Colours
The ancestors of today’s Cavalier King Charles Spaniel were small toy spaniels kept by European nobility as early as the 16th century. Paintings from this period show dogs strikingly similar to modern Cavaliers and already displaying the colour patterns we recognise today (American Kennel Club [AKC], 2023).
During the 17th century, these spaniels became particularly associated with the English royal court, most famously King Charles II. Over time, breeders favoured different colour lines, which contributed to the preservation and refinement of the four traditional colours. When the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was formally recognised as a distinct breed in the mid-20th century, these four colours were codified into the official breed standards (The Kennel Club, 2024).
The Four Recognised Colours
Blenheim (Chestnut and White)
The Blenheim colour consists of rich chestnut markings on a pearly white background. Its name originates from Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Marlborough, where chestnut-and-white toy spaniels were extensively bred (The Kennel Club, 2024).
Blenheim is widely regarded as the most common and iconic Cavalier colour. Breed standards emphasise evenly balanced markings and a clearly defined white blaze between the eyes (AKC, 2023).
Tricolour (Black, White, and Tan)
The Tricolour Cavalier features black markings on a white base, with tan points appearing above the eyes, on the cheeks, inside the ears, and on the legs. This colour has been present in toy spaniels for centuries and shares ancestry with early hunting spaniels that displayed similar patterning (Wikipedia contributors, 2024).
Tricolours are moderately common and are especially noted for their expressive facial markings, which are highly valued in the show ring.
Ruby (Solid Red)
The Ruby Cavalier is a solid, rich red colour with no white markings preferred. Historically, solid-coloured red Cavaliers were less common and were stabilised later than the broken-colour varieties through selective breeding (The Kennel Club, 2024).
Rubies are often considered one of the rarer colours, depending on region, and require careful breeding to maintain depth and uniformity of colour without white spotting (AKC, 2023).
Black and Tan
The Black and Tan Cavalier has a glossy black coat with clearly defined tan points on the eyebrows, cheeks, chest, legs, and beneath the tail. This colour is deeply rooted in early aristocratic toy spaniel lines and was historically associated with royal households (Wikipedia contributors, 2024).
Today, Black and Tan Cavaliers are frequently cited as the rarest of the four recognised colours, although availability can vary by country and breeding population (A-Z Animals, 2023).
Most Popular and Most Rare Colours
While exact colour statistics vary between kennel clubs and regions, general consensus across breed organisations suggests:
Most popular/common: Blenheim
Least common/rarest: Black and Tan, followed closely by Ruby
It is important to note that rarity does not imply superiority. All four colours are equally recognised within the breed standard, and temperament is not influenced by coat colour (AKC, 2023).
How Cavalier Colours Are Created
Cavalier coat colours are determined by the interaction of several genes that control pigment type, patterning, and placement:
Base pigment genes determine whether the coat produces black or red/chestnut pigment.
White spotting genes create the broken-colour patterns seen in Blenheim and Tricolour Cavaliers.
Tan-point genes control the placement of tan markings in Tricolour and Black and Tan dogs.
For example:
Blenheim results from red pigment combined with white spotting.
Tricolour combines black pigment, white spotting, and tan-point expression.
Ruby is a whole-colour red with minimal influence from white-spotting genes.
Black and Tan expresses black pigment with tan points and no white spotting (CKCS United, 2022).
Because multiple genes interact, two Cavaliers of the same colour can still produce puppies of different colours depending on their genetic makeup.
Conclusion
The four colours of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel reflect centuries of selective breeding and companionship alongside humans. Whether Blenheim, Tricolour, Ruby, or Black and Tan, each colour carries the same gentle temperament and need for responsible, health-focused breeding.
When considering adoption or purchase, colour should always be secondary to health, temperament, and ethical breeding or rescue practices.
References
American Kennel Club. (2023). Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed standard. https://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/CavalierKingCharlesSpaniel.pdf
A-Z Animals. (2023). Cavalier King Charles Spaniel colors: Rarest to most common. https://a-z-animals.com/blog/cavalier-king-charles-spaniel-colors-rarest-to-most-common/
CKCS United. (2022). Understanding Cavalier genetics: How rare colors are passed down. https://ckcsunited.org/cavalier-resource-library/f/understanding-cavalier-genetics-how-rare-colors-are-passed-down
The Kennel Club. (2024). Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed information. https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/toy/cavalier-king-charles-spaniel/
Wikipedia contributors. (2024). Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalier_King_Charles_Spaniel
