King Charles will not carry the title “Defender of the Faith” as Canada's head of state, unlike his late mother Queen Elizabeth II..An upcoming change was announced on the final page of the recent federal budget released May 28. However, Charles’ new title was not unveiled until April 17 in the Liberal government’s Ways and Means Motion for this spring's budget implementation bill..The king’s new Canadian title reads, "Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Canada and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth.".In 1985 legislation, Charles’ late mother was called, "Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.".The new Canadian title also omits the UK reference. Thirteen countries besides Canada and the UK name Charles their King: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu..Parliament must officially approve the revised title, given its status as a constitutional monarchy. However, preventing this change would require an amendment to the budget implementation or overturning the budget entirely. The latter action would force a federal election to be called..The King’s Privy Council is overseen by cabinet minister Bill Blair. KPC communications director Annie Cullinan told the CBC, "a decision was made to modernize the title to bring Canada in line with other Commonwealth countries, including Australia.."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," reads page 328 of the ways and means legislation..King Charles will be crowned May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London. He still holds the title of the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The Archbishop of Canterbury, top cleric of the church, will perform the ceremony..Pope Leo X gave the title “Defender of the Faith” to King Henry VIII in 1521. He broke away from the Catholic Church when it refused to free him to marry a second wife, Anne Boleyn, because she could not bear him a child. The king broke away from the church to found the Church of England, yet he and other British monarchs held the “Defender of the Faith” title ever since..When Queen Elizabeth II was memorialized at a service in Belfast Cathedral, Northern Ireland, Charles met representatives of all religious groups in the province. A similar broad contingent of Christian denominations and non-Christian religious are expected to have a place in Charles’ upcoming coronation. Half Britain’s population has no religious affiliation and 9% adhere to non-Christian religions..As Prince of Wales in the 1990s, Charles already mused whether his title “Defender of the Faith” should be changed to “defender of faith” to represent a broader representation. Twelve years ago he read John 14 for the YouTube Bible.
