The Prince of Wales gets a fair bit of flack from time to time (including from the Phoenix Homeopathy clinic’s practice manager, who’s a staunch anti-royalist, and who’ll probably give me a really hard time about this post), but I reckon he’s ok. Yes, he was born into privilege, but through The Prince’s Charities Foundation, he raises over £110 million annually for good causes – not bad!

Twenty years ago, when Prince Charles was first championing the cause of organic farming, the idea seemed crackpot. Now most of us understand how much tastier locally-grown, seasonal organic veg are, and how important it is that farming practices respect nature and are sustainable. Suddenly, Prince Charles’s ideas don’t seem so wacky.

Like many celebrities and others in the know, the British royal family have been known to rely on homeopathy to keep them healthy since the 1830s. The Queen reportedly travels with a kit of homeopathic remedies, and the late Queen Mother apparently used homeopathy right up until her death at the ripe old age of 101. Prince Charles has often spoken out in support of homeopathic medicine, and is said to have used Arnica to heal bruises suffered during falls from polo ponies.

Now it seems that herbal remedies will be joining food and toiletries as part of the Prince’s Duchy Originals brand. The range is apparently being made by well-known natural healthcare company who are also manufacturers of a wide range of homeopathic remedies. The Duchy Originals brand embodies the Prince’s commitment to what he calls a ‘virtuous circle’ of providing natural, high-quality organic and premium products, while helping to protect and sustain the countryside and wildlife, and generating profits for charity rather than for commercial gain.

Andrew Baker, Duchy Original’s chief executive officer, was reported as saying ‘Duchy Original’s decision to launch a range of herbal tinctures reflects the Prince’s passion for adopting an integrated approach to healthcare.’ The range will, apparently, be sold in Boots and Waitrose stores.

Homeopaths have a long history of using a range of herbal ‘mother tinctures’ safely and effectively, in small doses. Berberis, for example, is used to help kidney function, while Carduus marianus (better known as Milk Thistle) is often prescribed to help the liver’s detoxifying abilities. Crateagus (Hawthorn) is indicated for many cardiovascular cases, and Lobelia can help to support the chest and respiration, as well as help the smokers who are quitting. The homeopathic system of healing has been called the ‘magic of the minimum dose’: a homeopath will often suggest far smaller doses of a herbal tincture than those prescribed by herbalists.

I love herbs: I use them myself as teas or tisanes (usually blending my own from wonderful organic cut and dried herbs and flowers, rather than buying those pre-packed herb teabags), and take them in tincture form from time to time, too. In fact, I’d hate to be without Immune-stim, a blend of three herbal tinctures which I use to help keep coughs, colds and flu at bay, so I’m braving the practice manager’s wrath by wishing the Prince of Wales’s new venture the best of success!

For more information about how homeopathy or herbal mother tinctures may be able to help your health or happiness, visit www.phoenixhomeopathy.com.

Disclaimer: Any views or advice in this weblog should not be taken as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, especially if you know you have a specific health complaint. Prescribed medication should not be stopped or varied without conventional medical advice. Please remember that homeopathic remedies and other health measures should be individually-selected to match the whole person, not just the unwelcome symptom. Seek professional advice rather than self-prescribing if your complaint is chronic, severe or long-standing, or if you are pregnant, elderly or on orthodox medications.