[MR] Royal Touch

[Garth Groff via Atlantia]

Noble Friends,

Yesterday on break I picked up one of my favorite magazines, HISTORY 
TODAY. It included an excellent article titled "A Touch of Charles II", 
which discussed the practice of English kings (and sometimes queens) 
touching the sores of people suffering from scrofula in the belief that 
the touch would effect a cure. Charles II is, of course, beyond our 
period of interest, but the article mentioned that the Royal Touch was 
frequently practiced by English royalty during the middle ages. This led 
me to a Wikipedia article about the Royal Touch: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_touch

As it turns out, the Royal Touch was practiced by both English and 
French royals, and there was considerable bickering about who touched 
first, and who actually had the divine power, but then when have the 
English and the French ever agreed about anything except the Germans? 
The Royal Touch is recorded as being used by the French king Philip I, 
and was also bestowed by the English monarch Edward I, so it does fit 
into our period of interest. Earlier claims are likely questionable 
propaganda. Fascinating stuff. Please enjoy the article.

Yours Aye,


Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot