Editorial: December 5, 2025

ON April 4, 1873 Sewallis Evelyn Shirley, MP and twelve other men held a meeting to write the rules for a new sport that included showing dogs and field trials. And so The Kennel Club was formed and the Monarch at the time became the Patron of  the newly-named The Kennel Club. It wasn’t arrogance or vanity that the English named this new organization The Kennel Club, it was just that they were the first national kennel club in the world. Their membership was and still is comprised of individuals. Where as our American Kennel Club is comprised of member kennel clubs. 
 

Our own American Kennel Club came eleven years later on September 17, 1884. From the very beginning, a reigning monarch is the Patron of The Kennel Club. Now we fast forward to November 6, 1952 the day that King George VI passed away and his daughter Elizabeth became Queen. With that she became the patron of the Kennel Club for over the seventy years of her reign. Her love of dogs and horses are legend. As the 150th year anniversary was approaching, owing to his unique relationship with her Majesty that Sir John Spurling., KCVO, OBE requested/suggested of the Queen to grant permission to allow the Kennel Club to celebrate this special anniversary with a garden party on the grounds of Buckingham Palace.  She readily agreed and the process of planing such an event that would two thousand guests was put into motion. Sadly, Queen Elizabeth II passed away before it was finalized. Then the decision had to be approved by her son and heir King Charles III, who became the present Patron of The Kennel Club. The Garden Party was held April 20, 2023 under a warm sunny day. The guest list included all the members of the  Kennel Club including their foreign members that also included a handful of Americans, the employees of the Kennel Club and other assorted guests.  Hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Guests strolled around the gardens of the Palace, 39 bucolic acres in the middle of London was breathtaking. The trees, the flower beds, the lawns, the birds, the water fowl - it was spectacular. It wouldn’t be garden party without tea, coffee and cakes and finger sandwiches. Quite a day and way to celebrate an anniversary. So now that we’re almost up to date and you have some background of the ways of our British cousins. In 2023 King Charles III, officially bestowed by royal appointment to The Kennel Club a Royal prefix. Last Friday at the Kennel Club’s Clarges Street headquarters in London a cocktail party was held to celebrate the granting of a Royal prefix with a name change from The Kennel Club to The Royal Kennel Club. So we congratulate the Royal Kennel Club and its members as they continue, as they always have  to promote and protect all dogs. The Royal Kennel Club’s Crufts Dog Show is now accepting entires for their four day event to be held on March 5 through 8th, 2026.