Sources close to the Prince of Wales have attempted to allay concerns that he has no interest in his future role as Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
Prince William will take on those roles when he becomes king, however to date he has never publicly expressed a personal Christian faith of any kind.
By contrast his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, was known for her personal and publicly stated Christian faith. Similarly, his father, King Charles III, while sometimes criticised for his past “defender of faith” remark and openness to other religions, has always been a personal adherent to the Christian faith.
An unnamed aide has now reportedly told The Sunday Times that Prince William has a “quiet” faith and that he wishes to build a “strong and meaningful bond with the Church and its leadership”. Such phraseology of course does not commit to personal faith and may raise questions about the affinity he feels with the Church he will one day be charged with representing.
The aide said, “The Prince of Wales’s commitment to the Church of England is sometimes quieter than people expect, and for that reason it is not always fully understood. 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 comments come ahead of the formal installation of Dame Sarah Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury on Wednesday, which the Prince will be attending.
While the private lives and views of the royals are to a large extent shrouded in mystery, past reports have suggested that Prince William is remarkably cool towards faith.
Robert Hardman, in his book The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy, recounts being told by a senior palace figure, "His [William’s] father is a very spiritual person and happy to talk about faith, but the Prince is not. He doesn't go to church every Sunday, but then nor do a large majority of the country. He might go at Easter and Christmas, but that's it."
Commenting on this apparent lack of interest in the spiritual, Gavin Ashenden, former chaplain to Queen Elizabeth, has previously said, "William doesn't show any signs of being alive to the vibrancy of Christian faith. And in that sense, he is very representative of his generation.”
He added, “I think he either has to accept the fact that this is a role he plays, whether he likes it or not, which is part actually of the burden of monarchy, or if he feels that strongly and he can't do it, then step aside and abdicate and see if there's somebody else in the Royal succession who can."
