On Christmas Day 2015, the Queen will “use her traditional annual speech, [given since 1952], to reflect on her personal faith as well as her belief in the continuing role of Christianity at the centre of British life, despite rising secularism.” She will “deliver her most Christian Christmas message yet” says the Daily Mail.
If you had 2 minutes to respond on the radio, what would you say about the Queen’s speech? That is the opportunity that Chris Street (Atheism UK President) has been given at 9am on Boxing Day on LBC Radio.
The Queen holds the title of ‘Defender of the Faith’. The UK is a secular, multicultural society in which 53% say they are not religious and just 30% consider themselves religious.
Should the Queen reflect on her faith to the nation, or keep her faith private? The latter is unlikely ever to happen given her 1953 Coronation Oath to the Church of England Archbishop, who asked the Queen:
- Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel?
- Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law?
- Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England?
- And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?
Queen: All this I promise to do.
All british coinage includes FD or Fid Def, latin for Fidei defensor (Defender of the Faith) on the reverse.
