n.a
reference to the
divine right of kings, the belief that kings and queens (and their heirs) had a
God-
given right to rule, that they could do no
wrong and were accountable only to
God for their actions and not to the people they ruled, and that neither the
king nor queen (or their heirs) could
forfeit their
right to the throne and to the obedience of their people. This
doctrine was common in
England in the seventeenth century and was urged by various kings and queens.