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Demand over Charles's faith role Demand over Charles's faith role
(about 3 hours later)
Prince Charles should be defender of the Christian religion but no other faiths when he becomes king, a report by the Evangelical Alliance claims. Prince Charles should be called defender of the Christian religion, not all faiths, at his coronation service, an evangelical Christian group says.
The prince has said he wishes to become "Defender of Faith" rather than "Defender of the Faith" - a title assumed by monarchs since 1521. The prince has said he wishes to become "Defender of Faith", not "Defender of the Faith", when he is king.
The report says his coronation should not be an inter-faith ceremony, but non-Christian guests could be included. But the Evangelical Alliance says the ceremony for crowning him king is a traditional religious ceremony, and should be left or changed completely.
The alliance said Christians and other faiths gave their views for the report.
Clarence House said it would not be commenting on the suggestions.Clarence House said it would not be commenting on the suggestions.
Multicultural Britain 'Duty to defend us all'
David Muir, policy director of the Evangelical Alliance - an umbrella group of evangelical Christians in the UK, from more than 30 denominations - said the ceremony should either be left as it is or changed completely. A modernised coronation service is said to have been planned which would incorporate other religious traditions.
He told BBC Radio Five Live: "There needs to be a separate service where other people will be included. But David Muir, policy director of the group - an umbrella organisation of evangelical Christians in the UK - said the coronation service was a religious ceremony, where the future sovereign swore to uphold the Protestant Christian faith.
"There needs to be a separate service where people of other faiths would also be included," he told BBC Radio Five Live.
"The actual service itself, until it is changed, is a religious service.""The actual service itself, until it is changed, is a religious service."
Mr Muir added: "If they change that, that's fine." He added: "If they change that, that's fine."
The monarch already had a duty to "defend all our freedoms, all our rights", he said.The monarch already had a duty to "defend all our freedoms, all our rights", he said.
Prince Charles first expressed his wish to become Defender of Faith in an interview in 1994. 'Serious differences'
He suggested the title held by all British monarchs since Henry VIII implied they would protect only Christians. "Defender of the Faith" is a title used by all British monarchs since Henry VIII in 1521.
Prince Charles first expressed his wish to become Defender of Faith instead, in an interview in 1994.
He suggested the existing title implied the sovereign would protect only Christians.
The prince's position was seen by many as a reflection of multicultural Britain.The prince's position was seen by many as a reflection of multicultural Britain.
100 recommendations
A modernised coronation service is said to have been planned which would incorporate other religious traditions.
Earlier this year the Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, said all faiths could not be defended because of serious differences between them.Earlier this year the Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, said all faiths could not be defended because of serious differences between them.
The Evangelical Alliance's report, titled Faith and Nation, makes 100 recommendations on areas including religious liberty, constitutional matters and the environment. The suggestion is among about 100 recommendations made in a report from the Evangelical Alliance entitled Faith and Nation, to be published on Monday.
The group took 141 submissions from Church institutions and faith bodies in compiling the report. It covers areas including religious liberty, constitutional matters and the environment.
The Evangelical Alliance said Christians and other faiths gave their views for the report.