King Charles is now not Defender of faith

[Smokeywater]

King Charles is now not Defender of the Faith for Church of England Christian -
in the Sovereign Grant Report 2025-26
Where last year’s report described the King as “Head of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith,” this year’s version reads: “His Majesty is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and protects the space for Faith within the multi-faith nation.”

Doesnt seem a great move to me - he has a historical role as King and messing about with that role diminishes it imv - if you can just change things overnight why not change other things like being crowned in a big carry on by the Archbishop of Canterbury - William can just give that a miss and have a chinwag with a few other religious leaders.

The title of Defender of the Faith was awarded to Henry VIII by the then pope for a publication defending Catholic doctrine. When Henry VIII abandoned the Church and formed the Church of England, so that he could get a divorce, he rather hypocritically kept the title. So it has been messed with from the very first holder.

Seems more forward-thinking and very sensible to me. Rather than Defender of the Faith, it becomes inclusive in the protection of faith, in a multicultural and multi-faith country.

He is King of all the citizens of the country, not just the Anglicans.

Why couldn’t he have been “Defender of Faith” which is more all encompassing, rather than that clunky formula?

The King said some time ago - before he became King, I think - that he wanted to be seen as 'defender of faith' rather than 'defender of the faith'.

And as nocoolnamesleft said, the faith the title originally referred to is the Roman Catholic faith, which he obviously is not defender of.

Whatever his title, he is a man of deep Christian faith - that has not changed - so he's not less fitted to be head of the CofE.

I agree totally.
Subsequent monarchs had no right to the title any more than that bigamist, heretic, bully, Henry V111

@HelenaWilson "Whatever his title, he is a man of deep Christian faith - that has not changed - so he's not less fitted to be head of the CofE."

A pity his so-called 'deep Christian Faith' didn't stop him cheating on his lovely first wife with that old trout he's now married to.

it’s really not very forward thinking given that about half the U.K. population isn’t religious and the proportion is higher in younger age groups. I’d hope he protects the space for people to have faith or not - both freedom of religion and freedom from it.

Seems excellent to me.

Sounds a little less catchy doesn't it

And the Latin abbreviation doesn't fit on the coinage too well now - Fid Def was much more succinct.

A change overnight? Hardly.
Attitudes about "faith" and church attendance have been clanging for decades. I see the change as casting a wider net in order to remain relevant to the increasingly multicultural commonwealth.

@Mumtobabyhavoc "I see the change as casting a wider net in order to remain relevant to the increasingly multicultural commonwealth."

It isn't the multicultural commonwealth he needs to worry about it's the Anglican Communion in the Global South. GAFCON, the Global Association of Confessing Anglicans (A Traditional Wing of the Anglican Communion) aren't happy with the new ABC.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62ddy7qwqzo

I think it's great - it's an acknowledgement that we are a multi cultural and a multi faith society.

But he is head of the Church of England. In England. They are raised to believe they were appointed by god to be in these roles. What audience is this for? because surely if you don't believe in the CofE you don't 'believe' in the royal family anyway? Do people get offended when a Rabbi only talks about his role in relation to Judaism...? No. I mean how can someone be your king if you dont accept the very reason he believes he is king as truth? Seems a bit moot.

And surely if this was important it would've been done for catholics in recent history seeing as that was here first? Or Judaism? Buddishm? Hinduism? It's only a thing now to appease anyone who screams racism if Islam isn't put at the top of the list of considerations (and it isn't most muslims who do this, it's virtue signalling white brits).

I really don’t think that anyone in the royal family thinks they’re appointed by god to do anything 😂. Science kind of disproves every part of that fiction!

I think this will be one of Charles’s greatest legacies. In the same way that he banged on about the environment when nobody cared, he’s made quiet and substantive and meaningful steps to ensure the monarchy represents the population of modern day Britain when it comes to religion. All faiths seem to have a friend in him. I personally behave he genuinely believes in this. Over the years, he’s warmly welcomed interaction with and respect for all faiths. I can believe he wants to protect space for all faiths, indeed, while remaining the supreme governor (must have been some bureaucratic changes in the CoE for him to no longer be the “Head”?) of the CoE.

I never thought she was that lovely. Camilla is a better Queen than she would have been.

Does it really matter? It’s not going to materially affect anyone, is it?

It was over thirty years ago and I’m betting you know none of them personally. Are you really not over it yet?!

Yes - appeasing Islam imv and if the C of E has problems with same sex marriage etc Muslims aren’t even out of the starting block. He’s made a foolish move imv.

Rather than Defender of the Faith, it becomes inclusive in the protection of faith, in a multicultural and multi-faith country. - previous poster

Hardly inclusive when the laws of different faiths are opposing - So KC will accept laws conflicting in different religions and we’re to pretend this is fine - seems ridiculous - attacks on one religious group by another , Jews for example - oh we’re just one society

appeasing Islam

Fuck sake people find a way to shoe horn this into literally any conversation. Must be exhausting to live like that.

'Yes - appeasing Islam'

What about Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism? Are they not allowed to be represented or is it only Islam you have an issue with?

Catholics were hounded for centuries following Henry VIII's selfish actions - how great to have a monarch who supports freedom of religion.

Yes, it’s only Islam as they are not integrating in areas in Britain and are following their own laws

ming Prime Minister on 20 July 2026 Andy Burnham told:
Whitehall officials that, while no longer a regular Mass-goer, he still professes the [Catholic] faith, necessitating a few constitutional workarounds on the Church of England: “My mother [said Burnham] would never forgive me if I answered no to that question.”
So there are workarounds

Charles said years ago he would want to be the “Defender of Faiths.” As an agnostic of the live and let live variety I think, and always thought, that was eminently sensible. OP you seem to have a bee in your bonnet about Islam. The Muslims I know are lovely people and I might recommend that you make efforts to get to know people from that community.

I e lived in Muslim countries and they are very friendly people but have strict rules for women to adhere to. the Gov are printing handouts for men coming to this country not to rape etc which demonstrates a huge chasm in culture which means imv respecting their religious views is hypocritical

'Yes, it’s only Islam as they are not integrating in areas in Britain and are following their own laws'

The same could be said for orthodox Jews.