Prince William has a ”quiet faith” and wants to underline his
commitment to the Church of England ahead of an historic day for
the Anglican communion.
The heir to the throne is set to attend the installation of the
first ever female Archbishop of Canterbury this week and ahead of
the momentous event, it’s been reported that William is committed
to the Church of England and wants to support it.
When he becomes king, William will also be the Supreme Governor
of the Church of England and be known as Defender of the Faith.
While Queen Elizabeth II’s devotion to her Christian faith was well
known and King Charles III’s deep interest in his own faith and
that of others is well reported, the spiritual beliefs of the
current Prince of Wales have been more keenly debated.
The Prince’s faith has been in the spotlight in particular since
September 2022 when he became heir to the throne and next in line
to be Supreme Governor.
Ahead of the installation of Dame Sarah Mullally as Archbishop
of Canterbury, sources close to Prince William have told the Sunday Times that the heir
to the throne takes his faith and his support of the Church of
England very seriously indeed.
And while William has said he is not at church every day, his
commitment to his Christian faith is not in doubt. An aide to the
prince told the paper that ”those who know him well recognise that
his connection to the Church and to the sense of duty that comes
with it, runs deep and is grounded in something personal and
sincere.”
The source added ”as he looks ahead to the responsibilities he
will one day assume…he is keen to build a strong and meaningful
bond with the Church and its leadership” which ”respects tradition
while speaking to a modern Britain”.
In February, the
Prince and Princess of Wales visited the incoming Archbishop of
Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally,, at her new residence of
Lambeth Palace where they enjoyed warm discussions.
Later, the first woman chosen to lead the Church of England said
”it was a privilege to welcome the Prince and Princess of Wales to
Lambeth Palace today. I know we hold the same hope for a better
world and I look forward to working together in the years to
come.”
Prince William and the new Archbishop of Canterbury have another
shared interest – they are both big Aston Villa fans.
Justin Welby resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury following
criticism of his handling of the case of John Smyth, who was a
prolific sex abuser.
Prince William, as heir to the throne, will attend the
installation of Justin Welby’s successor at Canterbury Cathedral
later this week. It is customary for the first in line to take part
in this ceremony. The Princess of Wales will accompany him.
It’s understood that Kate has developed a deeper spirituality in
recent months following her diagnosis with cancer in early
2024.
