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Why Members Of The French Royal Court Used To Grow Long Pinky Nails
Participating effectively in the royal French court used to require following lots of rules and doing lots of scratching
People do all sorts of things with their fingernails. From cutting them close to decorating with vibrant colors and patterns, there is seemingly always some new fad enticing people to try on their digits. However, hundreds of years ago, it was deemed as an essential requirement for members of the royal French court to grow out the nail on their left pinky especially long for a very particular reason.
The royal French court was highly regulated when it came to rules and expectations. This was especially true during the reign of Louis XIV (“The Sun King”). Ruling an incredible 72 years (1643–1715), he worked towards his vision of making France a powerful and centralized presence in Europe. Doing this meant looking and acting the part as well. His tenure became known as a period of French excellence. Decorum ruled the day and if you wanted to be part of the pomp and circumstance of his court it was of the utmost importance to follow along.
Edward Muir, the author of Ritual in Early Modern Europe, explained:
“The King’s every action, from putting on his shirt…
