The King's Evil Without the King: The Royal Touch during the Interregnum

This article examines how far, and in what ways, the traditional belief that English monarchs could cure scrofula (the “King's Evil”) by royal touch survived during the eleven years of the Interregnum (1649–1660). Charles I had been executed and the monarchy abolished, and Charles II was in exile for the vast majority of this period. It might seem that the royal touch simply could not be practised in such circumstances, yet there were ways in which the belief survived and adapted to the absence of the monarch, and those who wished to receive the healing touch found ways to achieve this. They seem to have developed three particular strategies: making use of cloths or handkerchiefs that had been dipped in Charles I's blood after his execution; attempting to make a journey to visit Charles II in exile in order to be touched in person; or turning to other individuals who claimed to possess healing powers during these years. This article explores the uses that were made of these strategies during the Interregnum and analyses both how they helped to sustain belief in the royal touch during the eleven years of republican government and their wider political significance.