The Queen: Defenders of the Faith book review by Peter Crumpler

Discover more about the significance of the Queen’s faith in the book Defenders of the Faith, reviewed here by Peter Crumpler.

Defenders of the Faith: The British Monarchy, Religion and the Next Coronation by Catherine Pepinster.

Here is a book that, in the light of HM The Queen’s death on Thursday 8 September, has become even more vital and relevant. Its author, Catherine Pepinster, has been appearing across TV, radio and in newspapers explaining the important role of the Monarchy in the life of our nation.

She wrote, perhaps prophetically, ahead of the Queen’s death, ‘The passing of the Mother or indeed Grandmother, of the Nation will be a profound psychological blow.’ That emotional impact is now being felt.

The Queen was held in high esteem by so many, and her Christian faith was central to her life of service. Both are being shown in the media coverage of her death and the services that are being held.

Just days before this summer’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, I came across a copy of the 29 May 1953 ‘Coronation Number’ edition of the Radio Times in a charity shop. Its 52 black and white pages captured the excitement and anticipation of the nation as we looked forward to the crowning of the young Queen Elizabeth.

Looking ahead, how different will King Charles III’s Coronation be? That is one of the key questions addressed by journalist and author Catherine Pepinster in this well-researched and accessible assessment of the monarchy’s relationship with faith and religion over the past 500 years, and how that might develop in the future.

While diminishing numbers of people can recall that last Coronation, many have memories of high-profile royal weddings that have taken place in recent years. Many can recall the national grief following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, and the poignancy of the Queen sitting alone at Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021.

The author – who edited the independent Catholic weekly, The Tablet, for 13 years and broadcasts regularly on BBC Radio Four’s Thought for the Day – looks at the complex issues around the Coronation, which will take place in an increasingly multi-cultural, multi-faith society.

She astutely comments ‘The future challenge for both Charles and his son will be to make something of the monarchy at a time when all the pressure is to be an extension of celebrity.’

Catherine Pepinster addresses these and many other questions with much authority and insight, and with a sensitivity that shows her deep understanding of faith.

Review by Rev Peter Crumpler. Peter is a Church of England minister in St Albans, Herts, and a former communications director with the CofE. Twitter: @petercrumpler.

Out now

Defenders of the Faith: The British Monarchy, Religion and the Next Coronation by Catherine Pepinster. Published by Hodder & Stoughton, June 2022.