The royal touch was a form of laying on of hands whereby French and English monarchs touched their subjects, regardless of social class, with the intent to cure them of various diseases and conditions. The practice centered from the sixteenth century onward on treating tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis, a disease that frequently resolved on its own, creating the appearance of a miraculous cure; monarchs leveraged this supposed curative power to reinforce their dynasty legitimacy and rightful claim to rule.
Facts
Classification
StatusDiscontinued or Obsolete 1 FAQs
Did every English monarch embrace the royal touch?
A 2022 article in Clinics in Dermatology says that James VI and I was unenthusiastic about touching his subjects, when he ostensibly had the most to gain from its symbolism. In contrast to King James, the article says, his descendants intended to reinforce their affiliation with the royal touch.
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
Royal touch (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_touch, lead sectionQuote, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_touch, lead section
The royal touch (also known as the king's touch) was a form of laying on of hands, whereby French and English monarchs touched their subjects, regardless of social classes, with the intent to cure them of various diseases and conditions. The thaumaturgic touch was most commonly applied to people suffering from tuberculous cervical lymphadenitis (better known as scrofula or the king's evil), and exclusively to them from the 16th century onwards.
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