While the breed was popular with sailors, it was also favored by royalty in France and Spain. They were particularly popular with the Spanish aristocracy and often depicted in paintings of the time.
Once popular with sailors the bichon name means curly lap dog in language of what country where it was a for royalty?
The Bichon Frise's name, "Bichon", comes from the French word "bichon", meaning "little dog".