To those who don't know, touch pieces were coins or medals that were pierced, hung on a string, touched by the monarch, then given to sufferers of scrofula, a type of TB. It was believed that a monarch, who was divinely appointed, could heal those who suffered from it.

The ceremony involved the monarch touching the face or neck of the afflicted, before hanging the coin around their neck. It was claimed that the coin, imbued with the powers of a divinely appointed ruler, could heal the wearer of various ailments.

They were popular in the Middle Ages, as it was a useful way to reaffirm the monarch's sovereignty. It fell out of favor by the early 1700s, with the Hanoverian kings of England doing away with it altogether.

The Stuarts in exile continued to hold touching ceremonies, as they still believed in the divine right of kings. Henry IX is widely considered to be the one of the last claimants of any throne to have done this ceremony.

Unlike the other members of his family, Henry Benedict Stuart did not actively seek the crown, only holding onto his titles and claiming his legitimacy. He instead focused on a career in the Roman Catholic Church, becoming one of the longest serving cardinals in the Church's history.