King Charles III will “protect the space for Faith” in Britain’s “multi-faith nation”, according to a newly published Buckingham Palace definition of the monarch’s constitutional role.
The updated wording appears in the Royal Family’s annual financial review, the Sovereign Grant Report 2025–26.
The previous report described the King as the “Head of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith”. The latest edition states: “His Majesty is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and protects the space for Faith within the multi-faith nation.”
While some right-wing commentators are likely to portray the change as significant, it is more modest than speculation before Charles’s coronation in 2023 that he might abandon the historic title “Defender of the Faith” in favour of the broader “Defender of Faith”.
The revised wording reflects the King’s long-standing commitment to interfaith dialogue and religious inclusion, which he has championed throughout his decades as Prince of Wales.
Over the years, Charles engaged with Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Christian leaders in Britain and overseas, often speaking about cooperation between different faith communities, particularly the Abrahamic religions.
Long-standing interest in Islam
King Charles’s long-standing interest in Islam and Muslim communities has often drawn criticism from sections of the right wing media.
Shortly after ascending the throne in 2022, he described Britain as a “community of communities” and said the Sovereign has a duty to protect religious diversity.
“I have always thought of Britain as a ‘community of communities’,” he said.
“That has led me to understand that the Sovereign has an additional duty – less formally recognised but to be no less diligently discharged.
“It is the duty to protect the diversity of our country, including by protecting the space for Faith itself and its practise through the religions, cultures, traditions and beliefs to which our hearts and minds direct us as individuals. This diversity is not just enshrined in the laws of our country, it is enjoined by my own faith. “
Charles has spoken positively about Islam on several occasions when he was the Prince of Wales. His 1993 lecture, Islam and the West, remains one of the most widely cited speeches by a senior member of the Royal Family on relations between Islam and the West.
A biography released in 2018 suggests that the King’s views and beliefs are similar to those of many in the Muslim community. ‘Charles At Seventy: Thoughts, Hopes and Dreams’ mentions how he studies the Quran and thinks Christianity can learn from Islam.
The King has also maintained close ties with Britain’s Muslim community. He founded Mosaic in 2008 to mentor young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including many British Muslims, and has long served as patron of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.
