In Depth:  Royal Family

That phrase is quite possibly being hotly debated again as King Charles takes his Coronation oath. In fact, King Charles has signed up to it already and had it declared as one of his titles at his accession on the death of the late Queen.

Fidei Defensor is Latin for ‘Defender of the Faith’ and it is seen on all British coins in the abbreviated letters F.D. or FID. DEF. (I will leave others to do their own reading on the fate of the ‘Godless Florin’ of 1849 if your interest so inclines).

Nicola Laver

It’s not who you are – even if you’re the King of England – or who participates; it’s what you do – that’s the red line if the Coronation service is to be legally compliant, a church minister says.

In the weeks leading up to the Coronation, there were reports that King Charles and church leaders disagreed about the participation of other faiths, including Muslims, in the Coronation. The King has reportedly expressed a desire for a diverse ceremony – but the Church of England’s ‘Canon Law’ rules restrict what can take place during a Coronation service.

If the King’s Coronation service follows the pattern of that of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, His Majesty Charles III will be handed a copy of the Bible as part of the ceremony. But, out of the hundreds of different English language translations, who knows which version it’ll be?

Imagine you were interviewed or gave an important talk which was reported throughout the world. If it was translated into 723 different languages, you’d probably be flattered.

In October’s en we carried an article by Professor Gerald Bray about the institution of the monarchy. It concluded by saying: ‘Evangelicals … are fortunate indeed to be the heirs of such a strong and enduring tradition.’ We stated at the time that there is an alternative, very legitimate, evangelical republican view which we now carry in this article.

Before you release the hounds, it’s important to say from the outset I was approached and asked to write this.

As the Platinum Jubilee approaches, it is worth considering how remarkable Queen Elizabeth II actually is.

During her reign she has worked with 14 British prime ministers and met every US president since Harry S. Truman (except for President Lyndon B. Johnson). She has also met chart-topping pop stars, medal-winning athletes, and knew the Bible teachers Billy Graham and John Stott. Her travels have taken her to over 110 countries across six continents, making her Britain’s best-travelled as well as longest-reigning monarch.