News about John Dee

King Charles' refusal to pay a £32,000 bill for an Indian healer was yet another point of shame for the disgraced Duke of York. When he submitted an expense claim for medical care, the King was reportedly 'having a laugh,' including chanting, massages, and holistic therapy. Bills for the male yogi, who lived with Andrew for up to a month at a time, were previously funded from the monarch's personal estate. But to Andrew's dismay, the King has told his brother that he must now pay for such treatment himself! Pourtant, gurus, mediums, and healers aren't the first to know it. In fact, royals have relied on them for guidance since Elizabeth I's reign, when royals looked to Dr. John Dee, the renowned astrologist, alchemist, and scientist, for insights into everything from comets to dream interpretations. Other members of the modern royal family, including King Charles himself, have sought advice and support from clairvoyants, scholars, and spiritual figures, from the notable to the positively famous.

A.N. WILSON: We have had a Queen ruled over us during three of our country's most turbulent times - it's a surprising fact. The date may have been 1558 when Elizabeth I became Queen, but in some respects, the country was still medieval. We had the American colonies, Shakespeare had written his plays, and we were clearly a modern world by the time of her reign.