New King, new Christmas speech: Can King Charles emulate Jesus’ kingly leadership?

Dec 9, 2022 by Jill

by Simon Foulds, Christian Today:

This autumn saw the end of one era in the UK, and the beginning of another with the changing of the monarch for the first time in most of our lifetimes.

In just a few short weeks, all eyes will be on the new King as he takes up the mantle of his mother’s annual, and very personal, address to the nation: the Christmas speech. Many Christians, who have been heartened by how the Queen used the speech to share her faith, are curious to see what this significant speech will contain, and the glimpses it will give into the King’s leadership during this new Carolean era.

The nation King Charles will speak to this Christmas is worlds apart from the one his mother inherited. The latest UK census has shown that the number of people identifying as ‘Christian’ has further decreased compared to 2011, with less than half of the population of England and Wales describing themselves as Christians. Similarly, the religious diversity for the other 14 Commonwealth nations of which King Charles is head of state is continuing to shift.

With King Charles also head of the Church of England, this picture leads us to some – at least at first glance – paradoxical questions. How can he be both ‘Defender of The Faith‘ and ‘protector of the faiths?’ And more importantly, what aspects of kingly leadership will he need to exhibit to walk this fine line?

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