Prince Charles' desire to change his title from Defender of the Faith to Defender of Faith when he takes the throne has provoked a reaction from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The title, which signifies the supreme governor of the Church of England, is held by the British monarch. The Prince has said that he wants to make the slight change because, as it now stands, it reflects "just one interpretation of the faith".
Archbishop Dr Rowan Williams said that while appreciates the Prince's interest in other religions: "Unless something really radical happens, he is Defender of the Faith and has a relationship with the Christian Church of a kind he does not have with other faith communities."
He added that a revision of the King's role would be "a large issue". "It wouldn't just be a matter of words," he added. "The fact is that the monarch is the supreme governor (of the Church of England) and is such in virtue of being the prime lay person of a Christian church."
Charles, who once said he wanted to be the defender of belief "of the divine in existence", called for more understanding of Islam three weeks ago, saying the need has "never been greater".
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
