Today, Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest at a funeral attended by hundreds of international leaders and watched by millions around the world. Soon, our focus will inevitably shift from mourning the Queen to scrutinising her son, and our new King. On this week’s show we’re exploring what the accession of Charles to the throne might mean for the church – both the Church of England he is now the Supreme Governor of, but also the community of believers across Britain in general. As Prince, Charles rattled cages with some of his remarks about faith and there remains uncertainty and confusion about his own relationship with religion. Will his reign offer change or continuity with his mother, who became perhaps the most admired public Christian in the land? Will he defend the faith, as every one of his predecessors has since Henry VIII, or move the monarchy forward to a multifaith, pluralistic age?

Released on 19 Sep 2022