[Charles Darwin’s cousin Francis Galton] noted that every Sunday, in churches throughout Britain, entire congregations prayed publicly for the health of the royal family. Shouldn’t they, therefore, be unusually fit, compared to the rest of us, who are prayed for only by our nearest and dearest? Galton looked into it, and found no statistical difference.
(Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion (2008), p. 85)
No statistical difference? Surely the Romanov family might have had something to say about that ;-)
And possibly Edward VII.
Ah, but you see, god, see, he um knew which monarchs that scientists in the future would look at so he gave them statistically neutral prayer results. Because, you see, having faith is important. And having faith that having faith is important is important. And having faith that having faith that having faith is important is even more important.