Prince William's diffident faith
The religious scaffolding supporting the country he will one day lead is also dangerously shaky
This is an expanded version of my column in The Times (£) today.
Prince William has made a declaration of faith. To be precise, it was actually more of a murmur of faith, a low hum or a discreet cough.
Through a briefing by an aide, the Prince of Wales let it be known that, although he “might not be at church every day” he had a “quiet” personal faith and intended to establish “a strong and meaningful bond with the Church and its leadership”.
The uncharitable will say he believes in nothing at all, but is trying to squash persistent rumours that he chafes at the prospect of becoming Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England when he accedes to the throne.
Others may sympathise with a relationship to religion that is no less genuine for being ambiguous.
People may be drawn to the church for a variety of reasons. They may find it answers a need for solace or fellowship. They may be inspired by the beauty of the liturgy or church architecture. They may value religiosity for keeping the cultural show on the road without subscribing to the faith themselves.
The late Queen was clearly a devoted believer whose faith demonstrably sustained her.
When he was Prince of Wales, the King famously said he wanted to be “defender of faith”. He seemed to believe that divisions between religions were inconsequential because they all led to the same good place in valuing something beyond the self and its material preoccupations.
When it came to it, however, he was anointed and crowned as Defender of the Faith and said he was indeed a convinced Christian.
We don’t know what William actually believes, but two generations on from the late Queen his faith seems a paler, more diffident version still.
This follows the trajectory of the Church of England itself, which for decades now has downplayed religious belief and cast itself more as the priesthood of social justice.
