Royals and Religion


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
KikkiB said:
In this regard I've had a discussion with a colleague. She claims that Queen Rania of Jordan was Christian before marrying. I don't think so, but my colleague and I are both head strong :) Anyone know? And if so, are there any trustworthy websites which I can provide as "proof"?
Click to expand...
In this article about faith, from queen Rania's homepage, she mentions being a muslim from early age: On Faith series: Muslims Speak Out | Queen Rania
 
It was her mother-in-law (Princess Muna) who was Christian, not she.
 
Royal Church Attendance

I noticed there was a thread for QEII but what other royals attend church every week?

What about the younger royals, those born after about 1960?
 
Charles is probably the most deeply religious of the senior BRF royals IMO, after his parents. There are sometimes reports of he and Cam attending services at Craithie church near Balmoral. I do believe that the Duchess of Kent is very devout and gains comfort from her faith, and several of her children are the same.

As for the younger royals in the BRF, there are never any reports that they are regular churchgoers. There was controversy over William's irregular church attendance a few years ago. Kate was confirmed in the C of E shortly before her engagement, not before, so I would guess that they follow the vast majority of young and middle aged people in England and go sometimes at Easter and Xmas and for weddings and when duty calls.

I've followed Harry since he was nineteen. When he served on air bases there were reports from fellow service people on Twitter that he would sometimes quietly go into the chapel on base on his own.

However, like his cousins Beatrice and Eugenie, Zara and the Phillips, he's not a regular church attendee, as far as is known. And that's the crux of it, isn't it? Unless other people hang around taking photos of them on Sundays doing so, we will never know whether any of the younger royals attend church regularly, in the BRF anyway.
 
Most continental royals consider it part of their private life. In the UK it is not only the Queen, but also the Head of the Church of England who goes to church, so that role is more pronounced.

From the Dutch royals we know that as Queen, now Princess Beatrix, did attend services in the Kloosterkerk in The Hague but we have almost or never seen a picture of that. King Willem-Alexander and his family use the village church in Wassenaar but we have almost or never seen a picture of that. From King Willem-Alexander is known that his "confirmation class" of almost 35 years ago still regularly meets together to discuss the Bible, religion and related subjects together with the reverend minister of the royal family (who married him, who buried his father, etc.). From the Zorreguieta family (Máxima) their family priest, Padre Rafael Braun, played a role during the royal wedding in 2002 and recently in Vienna for Máxima's youngest brother's wedding. So there is a religious element in their lives.
 
Last edited:
The Queen's churchgoing habits are validated in the public eye by her Christmas and Easter public attendances. It amused me greatly when a journalist reported how sad she must be to miss church and communion while she was ill.

The fact that most of their residences have private Chapels seem to escape them, as does the fact that there are 33 - 35 Honourary Queens Chaplains throughout the UK.

Having said that, we only know of the rest of the family's churchgoing habits in the same way. Just because we don't see it doesn't mean it isn't happening.
 
Curryong said:
As for the younger royals in the BRF, there are never any reports that they are regular churchgoers. There was controversy over William's irregular church attendance a few years ago. Kate was confirmed in the C of E shortly before her engagement, not before, so I would guess that they follow the vast majority of young and middle aged people in England and go sometimes at Easter and Xmas and for weddings and when duty calls.
Click to expand...

A small correction: Catherine was confirmed in March 2011; so not before her engagement, but during her engagement - in the month before her wedding. This does suggest that the church doesn't play a huge part in her life (nor in her family's life as she would have been confirmed at an earlier age otherwise).
 
In Spain it is well known that Queen Sofia is a deeply religious person. Queen Letizia on the other hand is not and has instead been described as an atheist - who as part of her royal role does attend church services at the expected occasions.
 
Duc_et_Pair said:
From the Dutch royals we know that as Queen, now Princess Beatrix, did attend services in the Kloosterkerk in The Hague but we have almost or never seen a picture of that. King Willem-Alexander and his family use the village church in Wassenaar but we have almost or never seen a picture of that. From King Willem-Alexander is known that his "confirmation class" of almost 35 years ago still regularly meets together to discuss the Bible, religion and related subjects together with the reverend minister of the royal family (who married him, who buried his father, etc.).
Click to expand...

It isn't Willem-Alexander's confirmation class that is still meeting (monthly), but a group of 12 friends (from his time as a student at Leiden University). The others that professed their faith (which is a more literal translation of the Dutch reformed terminology) on March 23 1997 in the Kloosterkerk didn't know that the Prince of Orange would be among them until the day before (as I've been told by the wife of one of the others). The current king was confirmed at the age of 29. As it traditionally was more or less expected at the age of 18, it is clear that it was his own decision and not something he did just to meet the expectations (which, however, doesn't mean that he is a regular churchgoer).

I don't think we've heard about his brothers or cousins professing their faith - which might have happened, but within the Nederlands Hervormde Kerk (and now Protestant Church of the Netherlands) it is not a requirement for having your children christened, so we can't deduce it from that either.
 
Is Princess Tatiana of Greece a member of the Greek Orthodox church?

The Princess was born in Caracas, Venezuela which is predominately Catholic and wondered if she converted upon marriage.
 
:previous: Yes, I think I remember reading at the time of the wedding that Tatiana converted to Orthodoxy, as did her sister-in-law the former Marie Chantal Miller.

The Orthodox religion is much less relaxed than the Roman Catholic Church about performing mixed marriages(marriages between people of different faiths).

According to her memoirs, Queen Noor(the former Lisa Halaby)came from an Episcopalian background but did not attend church and if I remember correctly had never even been christened. Therefore it was not as difficult for her to embrace Islam when she married King Hussein as it might have been otherwise.
 
Last edited:
King George III of England's religious faith and practice existed holistically. Church on Sunday was meant to be part of a piety that permeated his thoughts, feelings, and actions throughout the week.

King Henry II of England frequently missed church services. When he did attend church, he spent his time sketching and chatting with his courtiers.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The practice of one's faith is between you and your God. We don't know how often the members of the BRF attend church because there are Chapels and Chaplains all over the different palaces etc. I was surprised that Meghan chose to be baptised into the Anglican faith as she was Episcopalian. But perhaps it was only nominally so. But still it was a choice she didn't have to make.
 
MARG said:
The practice of one's faith is between you and your God. We don't know how often the members of the BRF attend church because there are Chapels and Chaplains all over the different palaces etc. I was surprised that Meghan chose to be baptised into the Anglican faith as she was Episcopalian. But perhaps it was only nominally so. But still it was a choice she didn't have to make.
Click to expand...

Meghan wasn't a member of an Episcopalian church as she was never baptized. And if the Episcopalian church indeed was her background (something that hasn't been confirmed), being baptized in the Anglican church was the most logical thing uo do as the Church of England and the Episcopalian church are all part of the Anglican community.
 
Last edited:
:previous: The point I was somewhat clumsily trying to make was that there was no requirement for Meghan to do anything at all. I thought it spoke volumes that she made that choice to spend the time with the Archbishop in preparation classes for both her Baptism and Confirmation.

It seems to me more like a choice of faith rather than the prevalent attitude of just "getting the baby done" and having a big Christening event as both her baptism and confirmation were done privately with only Harry and her future Mother and Father-in-law as witnesses.
 
MARG said:
:previous: The point I was somewhat clumsily trying to make was that there was no requirement for Meghan to do anything at all. I thought it spoke volumes that she made that choice to spend the time with the Archbishop in preparation classes for both her Baptism and Confirmation.

It seems to me more like a choice of faith rather than the prevalent attitude of just "getting the baby done" and having a big Christening event as both her baptism and confirmation were done privately with only Harry and her future Mother and Father-in-law as witnesses.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification. Your previous message suggested to me that you thought that there was a huge difference between the Episcopalian church and the Anglican church and that, therefore, it was really strange that she decided to become a formal member of the Church of England by baptism and confirmation. While both the American Episcopalian church and the CoE are part of the same Anglican community.

Nonetheless, while it might not have been a formal requirement for Meghan to join the CoE, I am sure it was expected of her as she wished to marry one of the more senior royals (a son of the future king) - just like it was expected of Catherine that she was confirmed before marrying William.
 
In September 1302 King Edward I of England ordered that his sons Thomas and Edmund hear divine service at Canterbury and make an offering of seven shillings apiece.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

LadyFinn
Crown Princess Victoria & Prince Daniel's Official Visit to UK: Nov 29-Dec 1, 2023
Replies
17
Views
3K
LadyFinn
LadyFinn
M
Family Bylaws Concerning the House Law of the House of Luxembourg-Nassau
Replies
1
Views
415
Tatiana Maria
T
Jihan
Discussion About The Fallen Dynasties
Replies
20
Views
918
SirGyamfi1
S
M
Laws of the House of Grimaldi
Replies
3
Views
438
Tatiana Maria
T
T
Constitutional and Dynastic Matters in the Norwegian Monarchy
Replies
6
Views
979
Tatiana Maria
T

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom