So Long, Religion: Prince William to Dismantle Monarch's Role as Head of English Church When He Is King After 500 Years
William, Prince of Wales, could seek to abolish the British monarch's ancient role as Head of the Church of England when he becomes king.
Prince William could dismantle the British monarch's role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith when he inherits the Crown.
"In royal circles, it is no secret that he does not share the king’s sense of the spiritual, let alone the late queen’s unshakeable devotion to the Anglican church," royal scribe Robert Hardman wrote in his new book, Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story.
The role was first established in the mid-sixteenth century, when King Henry VIII decided to break with the Roman Catholic Church to divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The legendary monarch established the Church of England with himself as its head by which every king or reigning queen since has also been. But Queen Elizabeth II may well have been the last "wholly Christian" holder of the title, as it is believed that King Charles III prefers to "maintain an open mind."
"His father is very spiritual and happy to talk about faith but the prince is not," Hardman added. "He doesn’t go to church every Sunday, but then nor do the large majority of the country. He might go at Christmas and Easter, but that's it. He very much respects the institutions but he is not instinctively comfortable in a faith environment."
Numerous royal experts and insiders have come forward within the last year to share how it is "simply unthinkable" to imagine William's coronation being as deeply religious as his father's was. "King Charles' was pushing it honestly, and the only reason got away with not being laughed out of the country [was because] it had been so long since a crowning occurred," a royal insider spilled. "People were curious."
They continued: "It was an entirely different nation and world when the previous coronation happened in 1953. Television itself was only a few years old. Imagine that for a moment compared to today. It was anathema for anyone to come forward and let it be known they backed another faith or no faith at all when Elizabeth was crowned."
This insight follows the recent news of both Charles III and Kate, Princess of Wales' shock medical procedures that have caught royal watchers off guard. The 75-year-old sovereign is set to undergo a procedure on his prostate next week, which is expected to be "minimally invasive." The future queen's condition is said to be much more "serious" in nature and was performed on Tuesday, January 16.
"Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery," an official statement from Kensington Palace read. "The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."
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The New York Post reported on excerpts from Hardman's books.
