Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Royal Pets: The Three Eldest Children of King Charles I, and Two Spaniels, 1635


The Three Eldest Children of King Charles I
and Two King Charles Spaniels
Sir Charles Van Dyke, 1635
The Royal Collection

In 1635, Sir Anthony Van Dyke painted the three eldest children of King Charles I. King Charles was said to have become enraged when seeing the portrait because his son, Prince Charles, was depicted wearing skirts (as young boys of the time did) as opposed to the more grown-up attire of breeches. King Charles insisted that the painting be completely redone.


This is the second version, and, as instructed, Prince Charles is shown in breeches. Another important point that King Charles wanted included was his children’s beloved pets—a pair of King Charles Spaniels. Appropriate—no?

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