Sovereign Grant Report 2025/26 Keeps King as Supreme Governor While Adding Multi-Faith Language

Buckingham Palace released the Sovereign Grant report 2025/26, which states that King Charles is Supreme Governor of the Church of England and protects the space for Faith within the multi-faith nation. GB News reported the change in wording from the previous year's report, which had described the King under his Head of Nation duties as Head of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith.

The title Defender of the Faith dates to 1521, when Pope Leo X granted it to King Henry VIII.

King Charles retained the traditional singular formulation at his coronation. GB News reported that the new document positions the monarch as safeguarding religion across Britain's diverse religious landscape. The report also describes the King as a catalyst for charitable action and states that he provides pastoral support to the Armed Forces.

In 2022, shortly after accession, King Charles said Britain is a community of communities and that the Sovereign has a duty to protect the diversity of the country, including by protecting the space for Faith itself and its practice. In 2021 he said building bridges between faith communities had been a major part of his life's work.

This is not the first revision of formal duties in the Sovereign Grant report.

In 2022 the document removed specific obligations previously considered constitutional requirements.