Canada’s head of state, King Charles, will no longer be referred to as “Defender of the Faith” in his official royal title, according to a recent update to Canada’s Royal Styles and Titles Act. The change was first previewed in the federal budget document last month, but the full details of the new title were revealed in the Liberal government’s notice of the Ways and Means Motion for the spring budget implementation bill, published on Monday.
The new title for King Charles will be “Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Canada and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.” The previous title, which was last updated in 1985, included the reference to him being Defender of the Faith, a religious role that has now been dropped.
In addition to removing the religious role, the revised title also eliminates the reference to King Charles as King of the United Kingdom, aligning with Canada’s status as an independent country among the 14 other countries that share the same monarch.
The upcoming legislation states, “The Parliament of Canada assents to the issue by His Majesty of His Royal Proclamation under the Great Seal of Canada establishing for Canada the following Royal Style and Titles.”
The coronation of King Charles is scheduled to take place on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London. As a constitutional monarchy, Canada’s elected and appointed parliamentarians must officially approve the new wording, and by including it in the budget implementation bill, the government of Justin Trudeau has streamlined the process for enacting the revised Royal Styles and Titles Act.
Annie Cullinan, director of communications for the King’s Privy Council, which is overseen by cabinet minister Bill Blair, stated, “As we prepare for the coronation of the new monarch, a decision was made to modernize the title to bring Canada in line with other Commonwealth countries, including Australia.”
King Charles has expressed the view that being the head of one church is not inconsistent with respecting and defending other faiths in multicultural societies. His upcoming coronation service is expected to reflect this view, with invitations extended to leaders from other faiths and other acknowledgements of religious diversity.
The specific phrase “Defender of the Faith” in the monarch’s royal title has recently sparked debate in the United Kingdom over its appropriateness in modern society. The title has its origins in the 16th century, when it was conferred to Henry VIII by Pope Leo X after he broke away from the Catholic Church and founded the Church of England.
In Canada, the head of state has no official role with any religious denomination, and the update to King Charles’s title reflects this aspect of Canada’s constitutional monarchy.
In conclusion, the recent change to King Charles’s official royal title in Canada, removing the reference to “Defender of the Faith” and aligning with Canada’s status as an independent country, has been revealed in the federal budget implementation bill. The update aims to modernize the title and bring it in line with other Commonwealth countries, and the coronation of King Charles is expected to reflect his views on religious diversity.