Supreme Governor of the Church of England

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Supreme Governor of the Church of England

The Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the State religion Christianity Ecclesia in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national and regional churches....
. Even though the monarch's authority over the Church of England is not strong, the position is still very relevant to the church and is mostly observed in a symbolic capacity. The Supreme Governor formally appoints high-ranking members of the church on the advice of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the head of government Her Majesty's Government....
, who is in turn advised by church leaders.

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Encyclopedia

The Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England

Church of England

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

History

The title was created for Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I was List of English monarchs and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the House of Tudor....
. Her father, Henry VIII

Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lordship of Ireland and claimant to the Early Modern France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII of England....
, was responsible for the English church breaking away from the authority of the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
after the Pope

Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and head of state of Vatican City. The current pope is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected April 19, 2005 in Papal conclave, 2005....
excommunicated

Excommunication

Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community. The word literally means putting [someone] out of full communion....
Henry in 1533 over his annulment from Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon also known as Katherine or Katharine; was the List of English consorts as the Wives of Henry VIII of Henry VIII of England, and Princess of Wales by her first marriage to Arthur, Prince of Wales....
. By 1536 Henry had broken with Rome, seized the church's assets in England and declared the Church of England

Church of England

Established Church

An established church is a Church body officially sanctioned and supported by the government of a country, e.g. the Church of England and the Church of Scotland in the United Kingdom....
with himself as its head. The Act of Supremacy of 1534 confirmed the King's status as having supremacy over the church and required the nobility to swear an oath recognising Henry's supremacy. Henry's daughter, Queen Mary I

Mary I of England

Mary I , was Queen of England and Monarchy of Ireland from 19 July 1553 until her death. The fourth crowned monarch of the Tudor dynasty, she is remembered for restoring England to Roman Catholicism after succeeding her short-lived half brother, Edward VI of England, to the English throne....
, attempted to restore the English Church's allegiance to the Pope and repealed the Act of Supremacy in 1555. Elizabeth took the throne in 1558 and, the next year, Parliament

Parliament of England

The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. Its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period. In a series of developments, it came increasingly to constrain the power of the King of England, and went on after the Act of Union 1707 to merge with the Parliament of Scotland and form the main basis of the Pa...
passed the Act of Supremacy of 1559

Act of Supremacy 1559

The Act of Supremacy 1559 was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of England, passed under the auspices of Elizabeth I. It replaced the original Act of Supremacy 1534 issued by Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII of England, which arrogated ecclesiastical authority to the monarchy, and which had been repealed by Mary I of England....
that restored the original act. However, to placate critics, the Oath of Supremacy

Oath of Supremacy

The Oath of Supremacy, imposed by the Act of Supremacy 1559, provided for any person taking public or church office in England to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England of the Church of England....
nobles were required to swear gave the monarch's title as Supreme Governor of the church rather than Supreme Head
Supreme Head

Supreme Head of the Church of England was a title held by King Henry VIII of England signifying his leadership of the Church of England....
. This wording avoided the charge that the monarchy was claiming divinity or usurping Jesus

Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth , also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and is revered by most Christian churches as the Son of God and the Incarnation ....
Christ, whom the Bible identifies as head of the church.

Defender of the Faith

Fidei defensor

Fidei defensor is an originally Latin title which translates to Defender of the Faith in English language and D?fenseur de la Foi in French language....
has been part of the British monarch's title since Henry VIII was originally granted it by Pope Leo X

Pope Leo X

Pope Leo X, born Giovanni de' Medici was Pope from 1513 to his death. He was the last non-priest to be elected Pope. He is known primarily for the sale of indulgences to reconstruct St....
in 1521 in recognition of Henry's role in opposing the Protestant Reformation

Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation was a Christian reform movement in Europe. It is thought to have begun in 1517 with Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses and may be considered to have ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648....
. The pope withdrew the title, but it was later reconferred by Parliament in the reign of Edward VI

Edward VI of England

Edward VI became List of English monarchs and King of Ireland on 28 January 1547 and was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII of England and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first Protestantism ruler....
.

Thirty-Nine Articles

This royal role is acknowledged in the Preface to the Thirty-Nine Articles
Thirty-Nine Articles

The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion were established in 1563, and are the historic defining statements of Anglican doctrine in relation to the controversies of the English Reformation; especially in the relation of Calvinist doctrine and Roman Catholic practices to the nascent Anglican doctrine of the evolving English Church....
of 1562. It states that:

"Being by God's Ordinance, according to Our just Title, Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church, within these Our Dominions, We hold it most agreeable to this Our Kingly Office, and Our own religious zeal, to conserve and maintain the Church committed to Our Charge, in Unity of true Religion, and in the Bond of Peace ... We have therefore, upon mature Deliberation, and with the Advice of so many of Our Bishops as might conveniently be called together, thought fit to make this Declaration following ... That We are Supreme Governor of the Church of England ... "

Article 37 makes this claim to royal supremacy more explicit:

"The King's majesty hath the chief power in this Realm of England, and other of his Dominions, unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm, whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil, in all causes doth appertain, and is not, nor ought to be, subject to any foreign jurisdiction ... We give not to our Princes the ministering either of God's Word, or of the Sacraments ... but that only prerogative, which we see to have been given always to all Godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himself; that is, that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God, whether they be Ecclesiastical or Temporal, and restrain with the civil sword the stubborn and evildoer ... The Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this Realm of England."

Church of Scotland

In the Church of Scotland

Church of Scotland

The Church of Scotland , known informally by its Scots language name, The Kirk, is the national church of Scotland. It is a Presbyterianism church , decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
, (a Presbyterian, national church), the monarch is automatically a member, but holds no leadership position. However, the monarch appoints the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

The Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the British Sovereign personal representative to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland of the Church of Scotland , reflecting the Church's role as the national church of Scotland, and the Sovereign's role as protector and member of that Church....
as their personal representative, with a largely ceremonial role. However, the Queen has on occasion filled the role personally, as when she opened the General Assembly herself in 1977 and 2002 (her Silver and Golden Jubilee years).

List of Supreme Governors of the Church of England

Supreme Governor	Years	Notes
Henry VIII Henry VIII of England Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lordship of Ireland and claimant to the Early Modern France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII of England....	(1536-1547)	As Supreme Head only
Edward VI Edward VI of England Edward VI became List of English monarchs and King of Ireland on 28 January 1547 and was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII of England and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first Protestantism ruler....	(1547-1553)	As Supreme Head only
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I was List of English monarchs and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the House of Tudor....	(1559-1603)
James I James I of England James VI and I was List of monarchs of Scotland as James VI, and List of English monarchs and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Kingdom of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary I of Scotland....	(1603-1625)
Charles I Charles I of England Charles I was List of English monarchs, List of monarchs of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his capital punishment on 30 January 1649....	(1625-1649)	executed Capital punishment Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the killing of a person by procedural law for Punishment#Retribution and Punishment#Incapacitation....
Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell was an English people Military history of the United Kingdom and Politics of England leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....	(1653-1658)
Richard Cromwell Richard Cromwell Richard Cromwell was the third son of Oliver Cromwell, and was the second Lord Protector#Cromwellian_republican_Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, for just under nine months, from 3 September 1658 until 25 May 1659....	(1658-1659)
Charles II Charles II of England Charles II was the Monarchy of Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland.His father Charles I of England Regicide#The regicide of Charles I of England at Palace of Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War....	(1660-1685)	Converted to Roman Catholicism on his deathbed.
James II James II of England James II and VII was List of English monarchs, List of Scottish monarchs, and King of Ireland from 6 February 1685. He was the last Roman Catholic Church monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland....	(1685-1688)	Roman Catholic, deposed
Mary II Mary II of England Mary II reigned as List of English monarchs, List of Scottish monarchs, and King of Ireland from 1689 until her death. Mary, a Protestantism, came to the thrones following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of her Roman Catholic father, James II of England....	(1689-1694)	Held jointly with William III William III of England William III was a Prince of Orange by birth. From 1672 onwards, he governed as List_of_stadtholders_for_the_Low_Countries_provinces William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic....
William III William III of England William III was a Prince of Orange by birth. From 1672 onwards, he governed as List_of_stadtholders_for_the_Low_Countries_provinces William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic....	(1689-1702)	Held jointly with Mary II Mary II of England Mary II reigned as List of English monarchs, List of Scottish monarchs, and King of Ireland from 1689 until her death. Mary, a Protestantism, came to the thrones following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of her Roman Catholic father, James II of England.... (1689-1694)
Anne I Anne of Great Britain Anne became Queen of England, Queen of Scots and Kingdom of Ireland on 8 March 1702, succeeding her brother-in-law, William III of England. Her Roman Catholic father, James II of England, was Glorious Revolution in 1688/9; her brother-in-law and her sister then became joint monarchs as William III & II and Mary II of England, the only such c...	(1702-1714)
George I George I of Great Britain George I was List of British Monarchs#House of Hanover and King of Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of Electorate of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....	(1714-1727)
George II George II of Great Britain George II was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-L?neburg and Prince-elector#High Offices and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death....	(1727-1760)
George III	(1760-1820)
George IV	(1820-1830)
William IV William IV of the United Kingdom William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Kingdom of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death. William, the third son of George III of the United Kingdom and younger brother and successor to George IV of the United Kingdom, was the last king and penultimate monarch of the House of Hanover....	(1830-1837)
Victoria Victoria of the United Kingdom Victoria was from 20 June 1837 the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and from 1 May 1876 the first Empress of India of the British Raj until her death....	(1837-1901)
Edward VII Edward VII of the United Kingdom Edward VII was Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death on 6 May 1910....	(1901-1910)
George V George V of the United Kingdom George V was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha....	(1910-1936)
Edward VIII Edward VIII of the United Kingdom Edward VIII was Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the dominion, and Emperor of India from 20 January 1936, following the death of his father, George V of the United Kingdom, until his abdication on 11 December 1936....	(1936)
George VI George VI of the United Kingdom George VI was British monarchy and the United Kingdom Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death. He was the last Emperor of India and the last King of Ireland , and the first Head of the Commonwealth....	(1936-1952)
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known as the Commonwealth realms: Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Monarchy of Canada, Monarchy of Australia, Monarchy of New Zealand, Monarchy of Jamaica, Monarchy of Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Monarchy of the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Sain...	(1952-)