Thirty years ago, Charles’s interest in religion was considered controversial.
His confession to the biographer Jonathan Dimbleby The fact that he wanted to be “Defender of the Faith”, rather than Defender of the Faith – the title our monarchs have used for 500 years – set off alarm bells, particularly within the Church of England .
Eventually he rowed in and, at his membership ceremony last year, declared unambiguously that he was the defender of the faith. It was a title mentioned several times during his Membership Council and in proclamations across the country.
However, Charles is nothing if not determined, and there are signs that he has it both ways: as supreme governor of the Church of England, he is a committed Anglican, like his late mother.
King Charles delivers his Christmas message. Based on the theme of environmental protection, it was more deeply religious – and more multi-faith – than many had anticipated.
Charles III is crowned at Westminster Abbey by the Archbishop of Canterbury and thus becomes supreme governor of the Church of England and defender of the faith.
The King meets Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis during a reception with religious leaders at Buckingham Palace following the death of Queen Elizabeth I.
Charles and his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, pictured at their respective coronations wearing the Imperial State Crown, holding the orb and scepter. Like his mother, King Charles is religious, but he also inherited his father’s curiosity about faith.
Recently crowned with the crown of St. Edward, the king appears to reflect on the moment
But as he proposed in 1994, he is also the defender of the faith – and of all its new subjects who believe in God.
We saw this in his Christmas message which, largely presented as a meditation on the environment, was more deeply religious – and more openly embracing other faiths – than most had expected.
In fact, his first words were: “Many holidays of the world’s great religions are celebrated with a special meal. »
Before concluding: “Caring for this creation is a responsibility that falls to people of all faiths and none. We care for the Earth for the sake of our children’s children.
“Over the course of my life, I have been very pleased to see a growing awareness of how we must protect the Earth and our natural world as a common home that we all share.
And this: “Such values are universal, bringing together our family of Abrahamic religions and other belief systems, across the Commonwealth and around the world. »
Days after becoming king, Charles convened a gathering of religious leaders at Buckingham Palace and made his views clear: he told them he had a duty to protect faiths of all kinds.
Since then, there have been numerous visits to churches, synagogues and temples.
For the king has carved out an unprecedented role that no other monarch has played before: that of organizer of talks, helping to build religious dialogue, even when there are obvious tensions between people of different faiths .
Charles’ work took on new urgency after the Hamas atrocities of October 7 and subsequent attacks on Gaza by the Israeli army.
Six weeks later, the king joined religious leaders at an event at Lambeth Palace, hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, to hear from people what was happening in Britain, amid reports of anti-Semitic incidents in Britain and attacks against Muslims as well.
He was so concerned by what he heard that he cleared his calendar to make room for another gathering, this time of faith leaders and activists working on the ground.
This happened at Buckingham Palace a week ago.
Queen Elizabeth II delivers what will prove to be her final Christmas message in December 2021. In subsequent years, Christmas broadcasts became more overtly religious.
The Queen leaves St. George’s Chapel after a ceremony to mark Prince Philip’s 80th birthday in 2010.
As one person present said: “He arranged everything at breakneck speed. He wanted to show support, listen and learn.
There was no ceremony: Charles sat at round tables in a palace meeting room, chatting with people involved in reconciliation between communities, using the convening skills he had developed over many years. years as Prince of Wales.
While his late mother, Elizabeth II, was also interested in different faiths, this “organizing king” approach shows something of the restless curiosity inherited from his father, the late Duke of Edinburgh.
Prince Philip has engaged with various religious organizations and groups, encouraging them to come together and meet in Windsor.
Charles took over and urged religious leaders and campaigners to meet again in Windsor early next year.
In decades past, this work involved almost exclusively men, but the king also wanted to hear from the women involved.
King Charles, wearing St. Edward’s crown, is surrounded by religious leaders during his coronation in May.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby help sort clothes as they join other religious leaders at the Big Help Out, one of the events following the coronation.
The chief rabbi travels to the coronation on Saturday, May 6, avoiding mechanized transportation and thus observing the laws of the Sabbath. The king had made special arrangements for the chief rabbi, providing him with overnight accommodation a short walk from the abbey.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla speak to Inclusivity Ambassador Manoj Malde and Clive Gillmor after their traditional Hindu wedding ceremony at the Chelsea Flower.
This Christmas, people were reminded of how important contact with people of different beliefs was to the king when a BBC One documentary, presented by the Daily Mail’s Robert Hardman, broadcast on Boxing Day, brought viewers back at the coronation in May.
For the first time ever, the coronation of a monarch involved not only the Church of England but also other Christian denominations and other faiths.
The protector of religions insisted that they participate.
It is sad, meanwhile, that a man who has carved out a role for himself in Charles the Peacemaker has yet to resolve the conflict in his own family.
- Catherine Pepinster is the author of Defenders of the Faith – the British monarchy, religion and the coronation, published by Hodder and Stoughton.
