What religion the royal family is - From Prince William and King Charles to Queen Camilla
The monarch is the head of the Church of EnglandThe royal family are known to be members of the Church of England, and King Charles is the head of the Church, with Prince William and other royals of The Firm following in the same footsteps.
King Charles followed his mother Queen Elizabeth II, the previous monarch. They both mentioned the importance of religion during public speeches and appearances throughout their reigns.
The Church of England is a Protestant strain of Christianity.
What religion is the royal family?
The monarch of Britain is known as the head of the church, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the Defender of the Faith.
These titles date back to King Henry VIII’s reign, when he was also called the Defender of the Faith by Pope Leo X in 1521. However, he renounced the Papacy’s authority just 13 years later when the pope refused to annul the monarch’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon when she failed to produce a male heir for the throne.
After breaking with Roman Catholicism, Henry VIII established himself as ‘the only supreme head of the Church of England called Anglicana Ecclesia.”
Queen Elizabeth I declared herself the ‘Supreme Governor’ of the Church of England when she ascended to the throne in 1558. Ever since, the royal family has followed the religion, which is a practiced anglicanism, a form of Christianity.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head cleric of the church.
During Queen Elizabeth II‘s coronation in 1953, she took an oath to “maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England.”
Before Charles ascended to the throne, Queen Elizabeth held this role throughout her 70-year reign. She also would speak of her personal Christian faith in her Christmas speeches each December 25.
What religion is King Charles and Prince William?
Charles follows his mother’s reign in being the Defender of the Faith and head of the church.
All members of the royal family are christened into the religion.
For King Charles’ coronation, he took an oath as well. He declared: “I Charles do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the Throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law.”
Members of The Firm can marry outside the religion, and a law in 2015 allowed any royal to marry a Roman Catholic.
However, the monarch themselves must be raised within the Church of England. This is written in law, through the Act of Settlement in 1701, a key piece of legislation that ensures a Protestant leader of Britain.
It came into force after the death of childless Queen Anne, to ensure the crown would pass to Sophia of Hanover and her Protestant descendants at the time.
As Prince William, and his son George, are next in line to the throne, they will be raised within the religion to follow the royal tradition.
What religion is Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton?
Not much is known about Queen Camilla’s religion, but she did marry a Catholic with her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles.
It’s been reported Queen Camilla is Anglican, and did not convert to Catholicism during her marriage. However, her two children were brought up in their father’s faith.
Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles married in a Catholic ceremony in 1973.
Read more: Reason Queen Camilla’s sister finds it ‘impossible’ to curtsy to the royal
Kate Middleton, the future Queen, was confirmed into the Church of England on March 10 at St James’s Palace by the Bishop of London ahead of her wedding in 2011.
However, there was one royal who converted to Catholicism, going against family tradition – The Duchess of Kent. She was the first member of The Firm to convert publicly, and did so in 1994. Her son Lord Nicholas Windsor also followed in her footsteps in 2001, and in doing so, renounced his right of succession to the British throne.
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