King Charles III - Faith and beliefs

When Charles III made his first speech as king, he talked of his own faith as ‘deeply rooted’ in the Church of England. On the death of his late mother Queen Elizabeth II he became the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, although his first oath was to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland, where he is an ordinary member with no special role. Such differences are rooted in British history and, although the UK is increasingly secular, that first speech demonstrated that a key role of the British monarchy is spiritual.

When Charles III made his first speech as king, he talked of his own faith as ‘deeply rooted’ in the Church of England.

At his coronation, in an English abbey with a Church of England service of Holy Communion, King Charles was proclaimed ‘Defender of the Faith’. In 1994, he had suggested that ‘I personally would much rather see it as defender of faith, not the faith, because it means just one particular interpretation of the faith.’ Although King Charles has declared his allegiance to the Church of England, he is aware that he is king of a multi-faith nation, where half of the population adhere to faiths other than Christianity, or no faith at all.

Christmas broadcasts to the Commonwealth were the context in which Queen Elizabeth talked in personal terms about her own Christian faith. For example, in her December 2000 speech she said, ‘For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life.’

At Christmas in 2014 she said, ‘For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, whose birth we celebrate today, is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role-model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing.’

Then at Christmas 2020 she said, ‘The teachings of Christ have served as my inner light.’

The king talks in less personal terms about faith and almost always makes reference to other faiths as part of the same speech. In his first Christmas broadcast, King Charles referred to the ‘everlasting light’ mentioned in the carol ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’. ‘My mother’s belief in the power of that light was an essential part of her faith in God, but also her faith in people’ he said, then he added ‘and it is one which I share with my whole heart’ seemingly referring to ‘faith in people’ rather than ‘faith in God’. In that broadcast he went on to talk about the positive impact of Churches, Synagogues, Mosques, Temples and Gurdwaras, presenting an inclusive message to people of all faiths.

‘I personally would much rather see it as defender of faith, not the faith, because it means just one particular interpretation of the faith.’

He did return to a Christian theme later in the speech recalling a visit Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity, and affirming a central truth of the Christian faith that Christ was a historical person born in Bethlehem as recorded in Scripture: ‘It meant more to me than I can possibly express to stand on that spot where, as the Bible tells us, “The light that has come into the world” was born.’

But, as if to include listeners of other faiths, he added sentiments which detracted from the unique and personal place of Jesus Christ in the faith of Christians. He said: ‘While Christmas is, of course, a Christian celebration, the power of light overcoming darkness is celebrated across the boundaries of faith and belief. So, whatever faith you have, or whether you have none, it is in this life-giving light, and with the true humility that lies in our service to others, that I believe we can find hope for the future.’

Although service to others is a characteristic of Christians as well as people of other faiths, Christians place their hope in the resurrection of Jesus and the free gift of God’s grace rather than in works of service.

Continued below...

In the Bible, Jesus described the Holy Spirit as an ‘advocate - to help you and be with you forever’. The same Holy Spirit, who came to rest on Jesus at his baptism, is available as a gift to guide and help kings and commoners – all those who follow Jesus – anointing and equipping them to serve God and our world.

Away from the glare of cameras and ceremonies, like his mother, King Charles is said to attend church services regularly.

At his coronation, the anointing was so significant for King Charles that he was completely hidden from view by a specially-made screen. Although the crowning is often seen as the most significant moment in a coronation service, it is the anointing which has more spiritual meaning. The monarch removes the symbolic robes and symbols of royal status, coming to God in their own person, to be anointed with oil. Prayers are said that the monarch will be empowered by God’s Holy Spirit; the gift of God’s Holy Spirit – regardless of the worth of the person being anointed – is what Christians believe makes the difference.

Away from the glare of cameras and ceremonies, like his mother, King Charles is said to attend church services regularly. He is prayed for daily by millions of Christians around the world using the liturgies from the Church of England’s Book of Common Prayer.

However, his role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England was called into question as a result of the highly publicised break-up of his marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales, and his admission of adultery. His subsequent marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles, also a divorcee, was a civil ceremony followed by a Christian service of blessing. The late Queen, who was Supreme Governor of the Church of England at the time, did not attend the civil marriage of her son, but did attend the service of blessing.

King Charles seeks to be a monarch who reigns in a multi-faith realm, where Christianity is no longer the faith of the majority of his subjects.

The influences on Charles’s life were very different from those which shaped his mother’s life and faith. The late Queen was educated by a governess and spent the first half hour of every week day reading from the Bible. She was expecting to live a sheltered life as a country woman until her uncle abdicated and her life changed forever. Charles was just three when his mother unexpectedly became Queen following the premature death of her father George VI. Charles attended school rather than being educated by a private tutor. He grew up in the Swinging Sixties with the rise of youth culture and increasingly liberal attitudes. In his late 20s he was heavily influenced by philosopher, explorer and conservationist Laurens van der Post, who was described as Charles’s ‘spiritual guru’. His influential great-uncle Lord Mountbatten advised him to ‘sow his wild oats and have as many affairs as he can before settling down’. In contrast the late Queen married young and was influenced by evangelist Billy Graham and the clergy who preached each week at the church services she attended and who were then invited for Sunday lunch, where discussions on the sermon followed.

King Charles seeks to be a monarch who reigns in a multi-faith realm, where Christianity is no longer the faith of the majority of his subjects. His personal life has caused some to question his faith but all Christians recognise they are sinners reconciled to God through the death of Christ; grace which extends to kings and commoners alike.