Do you think that the monarch being the Head of the Church of England complicates their role as Head of State for a multidenominational population?
Recently, HM The King gave an Easter speech that acknowledged other belief systems, including Islam. Many people were upset because they thought that it was inappropriate to focus on other religions during an important religious holiday like Easter.
On one hand, I understand why people would want their (nominal) spiritual leader to focus solely on messages pertaining to Christianity in general and Anglicanism in particular. On the other hand, many religious leaders focus on secular topics (The Pope advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza right before he died), and ultimately, HM The King is not just the King of Anglican Christians, but other Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Atheists, Agnostics, and any other believer or non-believer in his dominion.
HM The King has established before that he sees himself as the “Defender of Faith”. This, however, will draw the discomfort of good actors (bad actors should be outright ignored) who value his role as Head of the Church of England just as much as, if not more, than his role as Head of State. This discomfort will probably increase if HRH The Prince of Wales also develops a broader interpretation of “Defender of the Faith” publicly.
In my humble opinion, this awkwardness comes from the fact that the British monarch is both a secular head and a religious one. They are expected to remain neutral with regards to political topics, but when they publicly extend that neutrality to religious beliefs (as the Head of State of several countries with large non-Anglican populations), they cause friction with those who value the role of Head of the Church of England. If they particularly focus on Anglican Brits, however, they risk alienating large chunks of the people they represent.
So, is there a conflict with a British monarch holding both titles? Is this issue so minuscule that both titles can be held in spite of the awkwardness? What would be the best solution if the situation isn’t minuscule?