Prince William has ‘quiet faith’ and the Princess of Wales is now ‘more spiritual’

Prince William has a ”quiet faith” and wants to underline his commitment to the Church of England ahead of an historic day for the Anglican communion.

The heir to the throne is set to attend the installation of the first ever female Archbishop of Canterbury this week and ahead of the momentous event, it’s been reported that William is committed to the Church of England and wants to support it.

When he becomes king, William will also be the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and be known as Defender of the Faith. While Queen Elizabeth II’s devotion to her Christian faith was well known and King Charles III’s deep interest in his own faith and that of others is well reported, the spiritual beliefs of the current Prince of Wales have been more keenly debated.

The Prince’s faith has been in the spotlight in particular since September 2022 when he became heir to the throne and next in line to be Supreme Governor.

Ahead of the installation of Dame Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury, sources close to Prince William have told the Sunday Times that the heir to the throne takes his faith and his support of the Church of England very seriously indeed.

And while William has said he is not at church every day, his commitment to his Christian faith is not in doubt. An aide to the prince told the paper that ”those who know him well recognise that his connection to the Church and to the sense of duty that comes with it, runs deep and is grounded in something personal and sincere.”

The source added ”as he looks ahead to the responsibilities he will one day assume…he is keen to build a strong and meaningful bond with the Church and its leadership” which ”respects tradition while speaking to a modern Britain”.

In February, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally,, at her new residence of Lambeth Palace where they enjoyed warm discussions.

Later, the first woman chosen to lead the Church of England said ”it was a privilege to welcome the Prince and Princess of Wales to Lambeth Palace today. I know we hold the same hope for a better world and I look forward to working together in the years to come.”

Prince William and the new Archbishop of Canterbury have another shared interest – they are both big Aston Villa fans.

Prince William is reported to have been less friendly with Archbishop Sarah’s predecessor at Canterbury, Justin Welby. In 2021, the Duchess of Sussex claimed that Justin Welby had been involved in a secret marriage ceremony between her and Prince Harry head of their royal wedding on May 19 2018.

The duchess told Oprah Winfrey that she and Harry had got married three days earlier, saying ”just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury.” Justin Welby denied that claim, later saying the legal wedding was on May 19 and adding ”‘I signed the wedding certificate, which is a legal document, and I would have committed a serious criminal offence if I signed it knowing it was false.’

Justin Welby resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury following criticism of his handling of the case of John Smyth, who was a prolific sex abuser.

Prince William, as heir to the throne, will attend the installation of Justin Welby’s successor at Canterbury Cathedral later this week. It is customary for the first in line to take part in this ceremony. The Princess of Wales will accompany him.

It’s understood that Kate has developed a deeper spirituality in recent months following her diagnosis with cancer in early 2024.