LONDON, ENGLAND, October 27, 2006: Prince Charles wants to be crowned king (when his time comes) in a multi-faith coronation service in a dramatic break with tradition, it is claimed. The Prince is said to have decided that the Christian service in Westminster Abbey must be followed by a separate ceremony involving religious leaders from other faiths. Held in the ancient Westminster Hall inside the Palace of Westminster, the service would attempt to give room to Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and Sikh beliefs as well as other Christian denominations. Prince Charles believes reforms to the coronation are vital to reflect the changes in British society that have taken place since the Queen was crowned in 1953, according to a report in this week’s Spectator magazine.
The prince, who will become Supreme Governor of the Church of England when he becomes king, has already said that he wants to be Defender of Faith – not Defender of the Faith – when he accedes to the throne. He is close to Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, who has called for a multi-faith coronation. That puts him at odds with Rowan Williams, his successor, and with most Anglican bishops, who oppose such a move. “It is no secret that the Prince of Wales has long felt passionately about this matter,” a courtier said. “His determination not to yield so much as an inch of this ground has been strengthened a hundredfold by the events of recent weeks. It has dismayed him to see the people who will one day be his subjects turn upon each other on the basis of their religious convictions. As sovereign, he will wish to demonstrate that he is apart from the politicians who have been sounding off so much lately on, among other things, the issue of veils and that he can set an example for the entire country to follow.”