Disestablishment has a long intellectual history, dating back at least to the early 19th century; Jeremy Bentham put forward a coruscating manifesto in 1817. But it has never come to pass, partly because of the Church\u2019s by-its-fingernails resilience and partly because of the removal of legal disabilities (restrictions in laymen\u2019s terms) on dissenters.<\/p>\n
If the Prince of Wales were to desacralise his coronation, do away with the coronation oath by which he would swear to \u201cMaintaine the Laws of God the true Profession of the Gospell and the Protestant Reformed Religion Established by Law\u201d and seek to set aside the title of \u201cSupreme Governor\u201d, he would achieve more than any radical has for two centuries.<\/p>\n
The Church of England, like many established sects, is waning. Its own statistics reveal that in 2022 the \u201cworshipping community\u201d was less than one million, with weekly attendance at 654,000.<\/p>\n
Although it has an endowment of \u00a38.7bn, its liabilities are vast. Its established status, the very wellspring of its existence in the 16th century, is central to its identity and stature. Absent that, its future would surely look bleaker still.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Snippets from @hardmanr<\/a>\u2019s new book suggest the Prince of Wales wants to dilute his ties to the @churchofengland<\/a> as king. In @theipaper<\/a>, I warn that it could lead to disestablishment: pro or anti, it shouldn\u2019t result from carelessness. #PrinceWilliam<\/a>https:\/\/t.co\/16EOTSzHfK<\/a><\/p>\n — Eliot Wilson (@EliotWilson2) January 18, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n