The British Royal Family have been proponents of homeopathy for generations. Homeopathy was originally introduced into the UK by Frederic Hervey Foster Quin who, as a young physician, had visited Hahnemann in Koethen, Germany. Quin was soon fully converted to homeopathy and returned to England. Being well-connected to the European aristocracy, he managed to attract many influential personalities to homeopathy. In 1844, he founded the British Homeopathic Society and, in 1850, he opened the predecessor of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital which is today called the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine.
Our Queen has many times been reported to swear by her homeopathic remedies. Some went as far as claiming her good health in old age must be due to her using homeopathy to keep well. Here is just one example from ‘THE OFFICIAL HOMEOPATHY RESOURCE’ of 2016:
On her 90th birthday, the London Weekly News reports that in spite of criticism the Queen has used homeopathy all her life and has remarkable good health. In fact, many generations of the Royal family have used homeopathy
For as The Queen marks her 90th birthday on April 21, that she has reached such an excellent age is largely due to her lifelong trust in homeopathy. Everywhere that Her Majesty goes she is accompanied by a small case of special cures and tinctures and, although doctors no not care to admit it, it is because of her herbal little helpers that she rarely gets a cold or any other sort of complaint.
Empiricists would argue that as both The Queen and the late Queen Mother have been avid fans of homeopathy and as The Queen Mum died at the age of 101, the glaring probability that it works seems to be rather evident.
Sadly, her good health cannot last forever, and we have all seen recent reports of her being unwell, spending one night in hospital, and announcing the cancellation of all her engagements during the next two weeks resting on doctors’ orders.
Which doctors?
Peter Fisher was her homeopath, but he tragically died three years ago. Did the Queen appoint another homeopath to look after her? Did she go into the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine when she was ill? Was she reported to be taking homeopathic remedies during her recovery? The answer to all those questions seems to be NO.
What does that tell us?
I have often observed that our Royals use homeopathy while they are well and conventional medicine when they are ill. The Queen might have followed this strategy too. But not appointing a successor to Peter Fisher suggests something quite different. Does it indicate, I ask myself, that the Queen has recently had the occasion to look at the evidence and concluded – as most intelligent people did some time ago – that homeopathy does not work beyond placebo?
I certainly hope so, not least because refusing to rely on homeopathy would significantly increase her chances of remaining our Queen for some time to come.
11 Responses to Our Queen and homeopathy: has the love affair come to an end?
Leave a Reply to has Cancel reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
HM still promotes Ainsworth’s Homeopathic Pharmacy by granting them her Royal Warrant to assist their marketing by indicating her use of their products, and satisfaction with them. (This being a requirement to have a warrant, which is a badge of a high standard of product.)
Her son likewise.
Given homeopathic products themselves have no known effects, I cannot imagine on what basis their warrants are granted and why they wish to assist marketing in this way.
Sigh.
The ‘younger Royals’ now have a propensity for bearing their souls and supratentorial maladjustments in public, but HRH the PoW is generally more reserved, as well he might be.
He would not have been comfortable having it known he was receiving counselling (though the entire court are aught but councillors), and it seemed more ‘acceptable’ to have it be known he was seeing a homeopath – though all that ammounted to was applied placebology.
I suspect the proverbial penny (with impression of HM in profile) is slowly dropping, but they are too embarassed to admit it.
More sighs.
Perchance HM has gracefully accepted One’s fullness of days, as sufficient and sees less joy in many more.
I’m not British, so maybe I shoiuld not comment, but I’m American, so I will anyway.
I think this is the first time I’ve seen fit to criticiZe a post.
The problem with the ridiculolous quote from The Official Homeopathy Resourceis not whether or not The Queen continues to use homeopathy, it is that it presumes with no logic or reason that The Queen’s good health is due to homeopathy rather than a) good genes, b) good diet and never being significantly overweight, c) not smoking, d) not a lot of drinking (so far as I know), and e) a relatively happy marriage and mostly good relations with family and admirers the world over–never mind Diana.
All this speculation about abandoning homeopathy is just that. Maybe she has, but if not, at least she hasn’t appointed a new homeopath. Let her have her potions and let us simply hope that the younger ones will let it go–and never mind Harry and Megan, they are most surely into a heap of woo over here in Tinsel Town.
“I’m not British, so maybe I shoiuld not comment, but I’m American, so I will anyway.”
Can we have your republic, since you’re not really using it any more, and you can have our monarchy in return?
Take it! Please. I actually live in Canada most of the year–as much as I can without immigrating (too old and poor to pass the point system). Canucks are mixed in their feelings about Commonwealth status, but they were certainly happy that the Sussexes only made a pit stop in BC.
Sure has, it’s all yours and you may keep your monarchy as well. But are you sure you guys can handle all the gun totting, pro-virus, trump-loving crazies we have here?
We’ll have the republic. But not your Orangists, they are very bad for republics.
@shewhowatches
Allow me to add one more to the list.
f) Immense wealth
Being born with a silver spoon in ones mouth has its perks like access to best health care, excellent quality of life etc that will certainly help one live a long and healthy life. Dabbling in potions and tinctures may very well be her way of connecting with proletariat.
By “the Sussexes” do you mean Mr and Mrs Harry Windsor?
It really is infra dig to use a title when one has abrogated the associated responsibility.
Although for some reason Mr Windsor was known as ‘Lt Wales’ when he was in the army.
Surely they’re more Glücksburgs or Mountbattens? 😉
I’ve always wondered why the Windsor adopted dynastic name (formerly Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) continued past the present monarch.
I guess if they were really up to speed with contemporary mores they would be Mrs and Mr Megan and Harry Markle.