King Charles III and faith
An exploration of the King's ecumenical nature and how he may interact with other faiths
I wrote this article in advance of the King’s coronation. In those heady days, there was much discussion about what the Carolean era would bring. I noticed that amongst this excitement, there seemed to be little mention of His Majesty’s faith. The King is - must be - an Anglican. But his faith is far more nuanced. From bridge building with Islam to funding the construction of Orthodox churches in Romania, His Majesty has a deep interest in religion. Below is the latter half of a longer piece, focussing directly on his beliefs and values (or at least what can be discerned from his public presence).
The King’s ecumenical nature
‘…my heart goes out to all Christians who are being persecuted on account of their faith’ – the (then) Prince of Wales, 2014
The King may be an Anglican, but it would be curious to expect him to be solely interested in Anglicanism. After all, he has vowed to protect the Church of Scotland and has close familial links to the Greek Orthodox Church. His interest is not simply based upon family and duty. Rather, he believes that there is more that unites Christians than divides them.
The Orthodox Churches has been the main beneficiary of the King’s theological interest and largesse. The upcoming coronation will demonstrate this, with the inclusion of Greek Orthodox music. Equally, the King has been known to have a particularly deep interest in Transylvania – ironic, given his blood link to Vlad the Impaler. This interest has manifested in him, as Prince of Wales, donating money for the restoration of churches throughout the region. Apart from this, the King is a regular visitor to churches in Serbia and, in a nod to his Greek heritage, has found deep spiritual meaning amongst the monasteries of Mount Athos.
Whilst there are Catholic members of the Royal Family, none are immediate relations to the King. However, the King has demonstrated an impulse to engage with Catholic theology. One reason for this could be his penchant for aesthetics. Unlike the late Queen, the King is more of a High Church Anglican. Catholic liturgy is therefore more comfortable. Indeed, this appreciation may be the strongest since the Stuarts ruled our country. The King has met Pope Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis. These meetings have taken place in the United Kingdom and the Vatican City. Indeed, during a visit to the Vatican in 1985, his ecumenical nature almost caused an incident when he expressed a desire to attend Mass with John Paul II. He was only prevented from doing so when Our late Sovereign Lady personally intervened. Apart from papal visits, the King attended the funeral of John Paul II and the canonisation of Cardinal Newman. Outside of theology, the King has a great interest in environmentalism. His focus in this area is to secure the planet for future generations. In doing so, he is following the guidance of St Francis of Assisi, who, apart from founding the Franciscans, is the patron saint of ecology.
Within the Middle East, the King has attempted to foster ties with the smaller and – perhaps – more ancient churches. The King has praised Middle Eastern churches for their resilience in the face of inordinate pressures. He has focused much time and attention on the plight of Christians in the region. Indeed, during his 2020 visit to the Holy Land, he attended an ecumenical service at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
As can be seen, the King desires to foster unity between the branches of Christianity. Though it would be a stretch to say he aims to repair the schisms, he desires tolerance between the branches and an exhortation that Christians should look to what unites them rather than divides them.
The King’s bridge-building between different religions
‘The roots of the faith that we share in the One God, the God of Abraham, give us enduring values’ – The (then) Prince of Wales, 1993
The King was a very close friend of the former Chief Rabbi of England, Johnathan Sacks. When he died, the King expressed real and deep despair over the loss. When visiting the Holy Land, the King expressed an appreciation of Judaism, particularly how it is the root religion of the Abrahamic faiths.
Regarding Islam, the King has a clear connection. This is not to do with the King being the alleged direct descendant of Muhammed (by 44 generations), but rather due to his belief that Islam has much to offer the Western world. This does not mean he will prefer Islam to Christianity, but it is a signal that he believes different groups can learn from one another. In particular, the King believes that Islam has much to teach Christianity about having an integrated view of the universe – something he believes Christianity has lost. This is unsurprising, Islamic ritual holds many relics of ancient Christian liturgy. Cross-referencing between the two faiths, as the King has indicated he would support, could illuminate lost doctrines. Thus proving that (apart from the obvious fundamental differences) the two faiths are not destined to be in a civilisational war. Returning to environmentalism, the King understands that the Quran provides limits to nature’s abundance. This accords with his belief that our world is not one of infinite bounty.
The King has studied the Quran because he believes that one must closely consider other faiths to understand truly what they are about. Equally, he signs letters to Islamic leaders in Arabic. Whilst only a small gesture, it indicates his deep respect for Islam. Indeed, the King criticised a Danish magazine for publishing cartoon images of the Prophet Muhammed, warning that there should be respect for ‘what is sacred and precious to others’. The King has attempted to use his influence to improve the study of Islam, being the Patron of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. Perhaps most importantly, he founded Mosaic, an organisation dedicated to providing opportunities to young British Muslims.
Whilst the King has focused on Abrahamic religions, he has time for the other major faiths of the United Kingdom. He has visited many Gurdwaras and Hindu temples. In particular, the King has praised the St John’s Centre in Southall, London, which hosts an interfaith community comprising Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus. The King also recognised the work the Sikh community has undertaken to promote inter-faith relations, highlighting how members of the community rallied during the London Riots of 2011 to stand in front of – and protect – mosques and temples.
The King has an interest in inter-faith dialogue. Similarly, to his ecumenical desires, the King will hope to inculcate tolerance between different faiths and to ask different religions to look beyond what divides them to what, even if small, they can agree upon.
How will the King deal with religion – how will this differ from the past?
‘It is the duty to protect the diversity of our country, including by protecting the space for faith itself and its practice through the religions, cultures, traditions, and beliefs to which our hearts and minds direct us as individuals’ – from the first speech of HM the King as monarch
Fundamentally, the King is not dogmatic. Whilst a man of deep faith, his spiritual nature and intellectual curiosity mean he will be a bridge-building monarch. As the Defender of the Faith, he will be the head of the Church of England and continue to be guided by her message. However, as a ‘Defender of Faith’, his care and attention will spread to all faiths. He will continue to promote interfaith dialogue and he will continue to emphasise similarities over differences. Similarly to when he was Prince of Wales, he will protect different faiths from whatever threatens them. It will be interesting to see whether he becomes vocal about the increasing tendency for atheists to attack religious faith. Whilst the King was silent about the issue of same-sex marriage within the Church of England – presumably deeming it to be a purely theological issue – he must have noted the anti-religious rhetoric directed at the Church.
In this monarch, guided by spiritualism and intellectual curiosity, we see a break from the past. Whilst Our late Sovereign Lady created room for her increasingly multi-faith subjects, the King will be the first to embrace other faiths fully. This may worry some, but it is a cause for excitement. We have a King who will explore how his role can improve the lot of religion as a whole in this increasingly atheistic society. A King who emphasises ecumenicism in a country where Christians seem to fight ever more bitterly over a rapidly diminishing pool of faithful. A King who, with the firm faith of St Edward the Confessor, King Henry VI, and Queen Elizabeth the Great, will act as perhaps the most important religious figure within this United Kingdom.
So, on coronation day, let us celebrate this resurgence of an intellectual monarchy unseen since the days of King Charles the Martyr. Let us support the King in his endeavours to promote peace, reconciliation, and faith within society. But, most importantly, let us all join in that immortal anthem and prayer:
‘God Save the King! Long Live the King!’