The Coronation... Fidei Defensor … Defender of the Faith: really...?

Steven Hanna  |  Features
Date posted:  1 May 2023
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The Coronation... Fidei Defensor … Defender of the Faith: really...?

The State Opening of Parliament in May 2022 | photo: Wikimedia

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).

As many will know, King Charles had wanted to change his oath as Supreme Governor of the Church of England to ‘defender of faith’ more generically. This could then be understood as defender of faiths, plural – in the sense of being a defender/the defender of the right of all people to have a faith. This, of course, is different to making an oath to be defender of the content of a faith.

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