Joshua Bennett
The British monarchy has a long and complex history with Catholicism. While the current monarch, King Charles III, is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, which broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century, there have been Catholic monarchs in England's past. King Henry VIII, who was once a staunch defender of the Catholic faith, broke with Rome when the Pope refused to annul his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. This led to Henry establishing himself as the head of the Church of England. His daughter, Mary I, a devout Catholic, attempted to restore Roman Catholicism in England, earning her the nickname Bloody Mary. Her sister, Elizabeth I, who succeeded her, declared herself the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. While the monarchy has historically been associated with the Church of England, new rules allow members of the Royal Family to marry Catholics and even become king or queen, although a Roman Catholic royal still cannot become the monarch.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Current King of England | King Charles III |
| Previous Queen of England | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Religion of the Royal Family | Anglicanism, a form of Christianity |
| Previous Queen's Role | Supreme Governor and Defender of the Faith of the Church of England |
| Current King's Role | Supreme Governor of the Church of England |
| Previous Queen's Death | 8 September 2022 |
| Previous Queen's Age at Death | 96 |
| Previous Queen's Funeral Hymn | "Like as the Hart" |
| Previous Queen's Religion | Christian |
| Catholic Monarchs of Spain | Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon |
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What You'll Learn
- Queen Elizabeth II was the Supreme Governor and Defender of the Faith of the Church of England
- The Church of England broke with Roman Catholicism in the 16th century
- King Charles III is now acknowledged as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England
- The royal family has practised Anglicanism, a form of Christianity, since Queen Elizabeth I
- The Catholic Monarchs of Spain were Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon
Queen Elizabeth II was the Supreme Governor and Defender of the Faith of the Church of England
Queen Elizabeth II, the Supreme Governor and Defender of the Faith of the Church of England, was the head of the Church of England, which is the state church of England that broke with Roman Catholicism in the 16th century. The Church of England is the mother church of the Anglican Communion, which includes separate churches in other countries. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head cleric of the Church of England.
The title "Defender of the Faith" dates back to the reign of King Henry VIII, who broke with the Catholic Church when it refused to annul his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Pope Leo X granted Henry the title in 1521 in recognition of his opposition to the Protestant Reformation. When Henry VIII renounced the spiritual authority of the Papacy in 1534, he was proclaimed "supreme head on earth" of the Church of England.
Queen Elizabeth I, who ascended to the throne in 1558, was the first monarch to be proclaimed "Supreme Governor" of the Church of England. The title of "Supreme Governor" was chosen over "supreme head" to avoid the implication that the monarchy was claiming divinity or subordinating Jesus, whom the Bible identifies as the head of the Church.
Queen Elizabeth II was anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury at her coronation in 1953, where 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". Throughout her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II remained a staunch advocate of Christianity and a defender of religious freedom. She was also a strong supporter of interfaith dialogue and played a significant role in the transformation of Britain into a multi-ethnic, multi-faith society.
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The Church of England broke with Roman Catholicism in the 16th century
The English Reformation was more of a political affair than a theological dispute. King Henry VIII summoned the Reformation Parliament in 1529, which passed laws abolishing papal authority in England and declared Henry as the head of the Church of England. This marked the first break with Rome, freeing England from the authority of the pope and bishops over the king. The religious reforms that followed were achieved through parliamentary legislation and included a shift towards Protestant doctrines and practices.
During the reign of Henry's son, Edward VI, the Church of England became markedly Protestant. Edward's regent, Lord Somerset, favoured Protestantism and worked closely with Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to implement Reformation ideas. Acts of parliament gradually imposed new practices, such as communion in both kinds, the removal of statues and altars from churches, and the allowance of married priests. In 1549, mass in Latin was abolished and replaced by liturgy in English using Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer.
Following Edward's death, his half-sister Mary I briefly restored Catholicism in England. However, when Elizabeth I ascended the throne in 1558, she declared herself the "'Supreme Governor'" of the Church of England, establishing Anglicanism as the official religion. Elizabeth's Religious Settlement, passed by Parliament in 1559, marked the establishment of a national church independent of Rome and Geneva. While the Church of England retained its medieval administration, institutions, and laws, it adopted a Reformed Church doctrine and liturgy.
The English Reformation is generally considered to have concluded during the reign of Elizabeth I. However, disputes over the structure, theology, and worship of the Church of England continued for generations, with tensions between those favouring Catholic traditions and those preferring simpler, more Reformed styles of worship. Despite these ongoing disagreements, the Church of England had firmly established itself as a separate entity from Roman Catholicism, shaping the religious landscape of England for centuries to come.
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King Charles III is now acknowledged as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England
The death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 marked the end of her 70-year reign as the monarch of the United Kingdom and the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The role of Supreme Governor of the Church of England is now acknowledged to be held by King Charles III, who ascended to the throne following his mother's death. The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla took place at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023.
The position of Supreme Governor of the Church of England is vested in the British monarch, making them the titular head of the Church of England. The monarch's authority over the Church is largely ceremonial and symbolic, and the position is considered relevant to the established church. As Supreme Governor, the monarch formally appoints high-ranking members of the church, including archbishops, bishops, and deans of cathedrals. These appointments are made on the advice of the prime minister, who in turn acts on the advice of the Crown Nominations Commission.
The Church of England, also known as the Anglican Communion, is the state church of England that broke with Roman Catholicism in the 16th century during the reign of King Henry VIII. King Henry VIII was granted the title Defender of the Faith by Pope Leo X in 1521. However, when the pope refused to annul his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, due to her failure to produce a male heir, King Henry VIII renounced the Papacy's authority and broke with the Catholic Church. He seized the assets of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and declared the Church of England as the established church, with himself as its supreme head.
The role of Supreme Governor of the Church of England has been held by the British monarch since the time of King Henry VIII. King Charles III, as the current monarch, is now acknowledged as the Supreme Governor and is expected to uphold the constitution of the Church of England. While the monarch has a role in appointing religious leaders, they do not have direct authority over the policies and practices of the Church of England or other Anglican churches. The head cleric of the Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury.
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The royal family has practised Anglicanism, a form of Christianity, since Queen Elizabeth I
The British Royal Family has practised Anglicanism, a form of Christianity, since Queen Elizabeth I. Queen Elizabeth I was the “Supreme Governor” of the Church of England, which broke with Roman Catholicism in the 16th century. This was due to King Henry VIII being refused an annulment of his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, by the Pope. Following this, King Henry VIII renounced the Papacy and the authority of the Pope, and the Church of England was formed.
Queen Elizabeth I's sister, Mary I, attempted to restore Roman Catholicism in England. However, when Queen Elizabeth I took the crown in 1558, she declared herself the "Supreme Governor" of the Church of England, and the royal family has practised Anglicanism ever since. The current monarch, King Charles III, is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, following in Queen Elizabeth II's footsteps.
Queen Elizabeth II's strong Christian faith was evident at her funeral, where the hymn "Like as the Hart" was sung as her coffin entered Westminster Abbey. The Queen's favourite hymn, "The Lord is My Shepherd", was also sung at the funeral and had previously been played at her wedding to Prince Philip in 1947.
The Church of England is the state church of England and the mother church of the Anglican Communion, a group of separate churches that follow Anglicanism. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head cleric of the Church of England and played a significant role in the coronation ceremony of King Charles III.
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The Catholic Monarchs of Spain were Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon
Isabella and Ferdinand were both from the House of Trastámara, and their marriage in 1469 required a papal dispensation from Sixtus IV due to their consanguinity. Their marriage was a political union, with both parties aware that "the crown of Castile was the prize". Isabella was already eighteen years old and the heiress presumptive to the Crown of Castile, while Ferdinand was seventeen and heir apparent to the Crown of Aragon. They had met for the first time that year in Valladolid, where they married within a week. Isabella's claim to the throne was secured with the aid of Aragon, and the couple spent more time in Castile than Aragon, with Ferdinand succeeding to the throne in 1479.
Isabella and Ferdinand's reign was described by W.H. Prescott as "the most glorious epoch in the annals of Spain". Their coat of arms was designed by Antonio de Nebrija, featuring a yoke and a sheaf of arrows, and their shared motto, "Tanto monta" ("as much one as the other"), symbolised their cooperation. Isabella and Ferdinand jointly funded and authorised Columbus' expedition to the Indies in 1492, which landed in the Bahamas, and later Cuba and Hispaniola.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the King and Queen are not Catholic. The late Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022, was the Supreme Governor and Defender of the Faith of the Church of England, which broke away from Catholicism in the 16th century. The current King, Charles III, is also the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
The royal family practices Anglicanism, a form of Christianity.
The relationship between the Catholic Church and the monarchy has evolved over time. Historically, there were Catholic monarchs in Europe, such as Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon in Spain. In the context of the British monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II played a role in healing the rift between the Church of England and the Catholic Church. She met with several Popes during her reign, including Pope John XXIII in 1961 and Pope John Paul II in 1982.
