 After converting to Catholicism and establishing his authority , Henry IV was hailed not only as the healer of the scrofulous , but also as the healer of the kingdom . The first Bourbon on the French throne , he decided to take advantage of the ability attributed to his predecessors and use it to confirm the legitimacy of his reign . He was , however , in an inconvenient situation : he was crowned at Chartres Cathedral rather than Reims , and thus made no visit to the shrine of Saint Marcouf . He maintained that the royal touch was something he was handed down by his predecessors and by God 's grace , rather than an ability conferred by the rite of coronation . Henry decided not to exhibit his " divine gift " immediately after his coronation at Chartres in February 1594 ; instead , he decided to save the mystique element of his kingship for his entry in Paris in March . Two weeks after the event , on Easter , Henry exercised his healing power for the first time . He was determined not to show any skepticism about the ritual , fearing that it might cast doubt on the sincerity of his conversion . 
