As we go through the transition from Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles III, it is a good time reflect on some of the things that go along with being a British Sovereign. One is the title, The Defender of the Faith.
Ironically, the title was first given in reference to the defending of the Roman Catholic faith against Protestantism.
I found a helpful article on this:
King Henry VIII received the title Defender of the Faith from Pope Leo X, then head of the Catholic Church, in 1521 after the king published a rebuttal of the ideas of Martin Luther, whose reforms launched the Protestant Reformation. Henry retained this title even after later breaking from the authority of the pope, titling himself Head of the Church in England.
You can read the full article here.
