Grace Thompson
The British royal family has been firmly associated with Protestantism since the Act of Settlement in 1701, which sought to ensure the exclusion of a Roman Catholic monarch. The Act also disqualified anyone who married a Roman Catholic from succeeding the throne. In 1994, the Duchess of Kent became the first senior British royal to convert to Catholicism in more than 300 years. Her conversion has been described as the first of a British royal since the Act of Settlement, though this depends on how British royal is defined.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of conversion of Duchess of Kent to Catholicism | 1994 |
| First senior British royal to convert to Catholicism in | over 300 years |
| Act that excluded Catholics from the throne | Act of Settlement 1701 |
| Year the ban on those marrying Catholics from the line of succession was lifted | 2013 |
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What You'll Learn
The Act of Settlement (1701)
The Act of Settlement of 1701 was an act of the Parliament of England that settled the succession to the English and Irish crowns to only Protestants. The Act provided that the throne would pass to the Electress Sophia of Hanover, a granddaughter of James VI and I and a niece of King Charles I, and her descendants. However, it excluded "forever" anyone who was or became a Roman Catholic or married one. This effectively barred Catholics from ascending the throne and had the effect of deposing the remaining descendants of Charles I, except for his Protestant granddaughter Anne. Sophia's son succeeded to the throne as King George I, starting the Hanoverian dynasty in Britain.
The Act of Settlement was designed to secure the Protestant succession to the throne and strengthen the guarantees for ensuring a parliamentary system of government. It reinforced the Bill of Rights of 1689, which had established the order of succession for Mary II's heirs. Mary's father, James II, had fled England in 1688 due to his Roman Catholic sympathies and belief in the divine right of the Crown. Disgruntled parliamentarians offered the throne to his eldest Protestant daughter, Mary, who accepted on the condition that she could reign jointly with her Dutch husband, William of Orange, who became William III.
The Act of Settlement also further restricted the powers and prerogatives of the Crown. It required parliamentary consent for the Sovereign to engage in war or leave the country and established judicial independence by providing that judges would hold office based on good conduct rather than Royal pleasure. The Act contained eight additional provisions that were to come into effect upon the death of both William and Anne. One of these provisions was that the monarch "shall join in communion with the Church of England".
The Act of Settlement's disqualification of Catholics from the throne remained in place for over three centuries. In 2013, the Succession to the Crown Act amended the Act of Settlement to end the disqualification arising from marriage to a Roman Catholic. However, the ban on Catholics becoming monarch remained in place, with some criticizing the lack of reform on this issue. The Duchess of Kent, who died in 2025 at the age of 92, was the first senior British royal to convert to Catholicism in over 300 years.
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The Duchess of Kent
Katharine grew up in an aristocratic family as the only daughter of landowner Colonel Sir William Worsley, a baronet, and Lady Worsley of Hovingham Hall, located outside York. She was baptized in an Anglican village church and developed a lifelong interest in music from a young age, learning to play the piano, violin, and organ. She met her future husband, Prince Edward, when he was stationed near her family home. They announced their engagement in 1961 and were married that year at York Minster, with Katharine becoming a working member of the royal family. She carried out official duties on behalf of the monarch, such as attending state functions and charitable events.
In 1994, Katharine decided to convert to Catholicism, becoming the first senior British royal to do so in more than 300 years. Her conversion was described as a long-pondered personal decision and was received with prior approval from Queen Elizabeth II. Katharine reportedly stated that she was attracted to Catholicism by the "guidelines" provided by the faith, saying, "I do love guidelines, and the Catholic Church offers you guidelines." Her conversion sparked debate around the rules of succession in the UK, as the Act of Settlement decreed that only Protestants could take the English and Irish crowns, banning heirs from being or marrying a Roman Catholic. However, since Katharine was an Anglican when she married the Duke of Kent, there were no constitutional implications for him.
In her later years, Katharine stepped away from the public spotlight and became a music teacher at a primary school. She also founded the charity Future Talent to support young musicians from low-income families. Katharine passed away peacefully at Kensington Palace in 2025, surrounded by her family, at the age of 92. She was the oldest living member of the British royal family at the time of her death.
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The Royal Family and Anglicanism
The British Royal Family has historically been associated with Protestantism and the more evangelical end of the Anglican spectrum. The reigning British monarch is the "Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England". The monarch appoints the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the leader of the Church of England and the ceremonial head of the Anglican Communion worldwide.
The Church of England was founded by St Augustine around the year 600. It is autocephalous and allows its members to simultaneously be members of any other Trinitarian Christian Church. The Church of Scotland also does not demand exclusivity from its lay membership.
The Queen, Elizabeth II, was a committed Christian and a member of the Church of Scotland. She respected all faiths and saw them as a force for good in the world, and a way of bringing communities together. She was involved with many faith-related charities, including the National Churches Trust, The Boys' Brigade, and the YMCA. She often referred to her faith in her annual Christmas broadcasts. She also recognized and celebrated other faiths in the UK and the Commonwealth.
In 1970, Queen Elizabeth II became the first sovereign to inaugurate and address the General Synod, the legislative body of the Church of England, in person. Every Maundy Thursday, the day on which Christians commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus, the Queen distributed special Maundy money to local pensioners. She also visited many different places of worship in the UK and across the Commonwealth.
In 2020, during the Coronavirus pandemic, the Queen recorded a special Easter broadcast for the only time in her reign. She spoke of light as a symbol of hope, used across different faiths, but particularly relevant at Easter time.
It is worth noting that the Duchess of Kent, Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, was the first senior British royal to convert to Catholicism in over 300 years. Her decision coincided with a wave of conversions from Anglicanism following the Church of England's decision to ordain women priests. However, her spokesman at the time stated that her conversion was a personal decision unrelated to the issue of women's ordination.
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The Sovereign and the Church of England
The relationship between the Sovereign and the Church of England is a complex one, with a long history that dates back to the 17th century. The English monarchy has been predominantly associated with Protestantism since the Bill of Rights of 1689 and the Act of Settlement of 1701, which sought to ensure that only a Protestant could ascend the throne. This was in response to the perceived despotism of James II, a Roman Catholic, whose religion was one of the main causes of the Glorious Revolution.
The Act of Settlement specifically excludes Roman Catholics from succession to the throne, stating that the Sovereign must be in communion with the Church of England and swear to preserve the established Church of England and the established Church of Scotland. The Act also requires the Sovereign to uphold the Protestant succession and has been received into the laws of all the countries and territories under British monarch rule.
Despite this long-standing association with Protestantism, there have been some Catholic members of the extended royal family. Notably, the Duchess of Kent, born Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, became the first senior British royal to convert to Catholicism in over 300 years when she did so in 1994. Her decision was influenced by Cardinal Basil Hume and Fr. Michael Seed and was said to be a personal choice unrelated to the Church of England's decision to ordain women priests.
Another notable Catholic royal was Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, the youngest granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She converted to Catholicism upon her marriage to King Alfonso XIII of Spain, though her conversion is often overlooked due to her relocation to Spain and less prominent role in British public life.
In recent years, there have been criticisms of the Act of Settlement's ban on Catholics becoming monarch. The Guardian, for example, noted that the lack of a proposal to remove this restriction was disappointing. Despite these criticisms, the Act remains in place, shaping the relationship between the Sovereign and the Church of England and ensuring the continued association of the British monarchy with Protestantism.
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The Succession to the Crown Act (2013)
The royal family is not Catholic, but Anglican. The Church of England was formed when King Henry VIII split from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534, so that he could divorce his first wife and marry Anne Boleyn.
The Succession to the Crown Act, 2013, was passed by the Parliament of Canada and the Parliament of Barbados, in addition to the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act was brought into force on 26 March 2015 by the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg. The Act was passed to make succession to the Crown gender-neutral, and to make provisions about Royal Marriages.
The Act removes the historical discrimination against women, ending the system of male heirs automatically inheriting the throne over female heirs. For example, Princess Charlotte of Wales was, from her birth on 2 May 2015, fourth in line to the throne, after Prince George and ahead of Prince Harry. Due to the provisions of the Act, she has retained her place in the succession ahead of her younger brother, Prince Louis of Wales, who was born on 23 April 2018.
The Act also removes the bar on anyone who marries a Roman Catholic from becoming monarch. This replaces the outdated Royal Marriages Act of 1772, which provided that a descendant of King George II may marry only with the consent of the Sovereign. Now, only the first six people in line to the throne need the consent of the monarch to marry.
The Act also repeals several sections in the Bill of Rights of 1689 and the Act of Settlement of 1701 involving marriages with 'papists' (Catholics).
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Frequently asked questions
No, the Royal Family has been firmly associated with Protestantism for the last 300 years.
Yes, but they would be disqualified from the line of succession to the throne.
Yes, the Duchess of Kent, Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, converted to Catholicism in 1994.
The Duchess of Kent's decision to convert to Catholicism was reportedly influenced by her "love" for the "guidelines" of the Catholic Church. However, her spokesman at the time claimed that it was a “long-pondered personal decision" unrelated to the Church of England's decision to ordain women priests.
Yes, but until the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013, they would have been disqualified from the line of succession.
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