Source Two: King Edward sees a vision of Christ in the Eucharist

Edward the Confessor was said to be a very pious man, meaning he was devoted to his religion and lived his life according to its rules. While at mass and receiving the Eucharist, a wafer said to represent the body of Christ, Edward looked down to see the Christ child in the wafer. In this image, the Christ child can be seen in the disk held by the priest who is about to turn and hand it to Edward.

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Tasks

  • How important does Christianity seem to the King in this image?
  • Why are the King’s clothes white in this image?
  • The figure in front of the King is a monk. How do we know? What does the image show about religious orders?
  • The monk is holding the Eucharist on which the image of Christ has appeared. What would this suggest about the King?