<\/p>\n
In many ways, a source says, the Prince of Wales\u2019s faith, as a 43-year-old father of young children, follows the trajectory of countless other millennials around Britain. \u201cAny individual\u2019s relationship with faith evolves over a time,\u201d they said. \u201cEach is personal and nuanced. We don\u2019t necessarily have the same relationship with the Church that our grandparents or parents did.\u201d<\/p>\n
None of which would be remarkable, except that Prince William<\/a> will one day be Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and that this week he let it be known, via the briefing of an aide, that he wants to \u201cdraw a line in the sand\u201d when it comes to his faith<\/a>.<\/p>\n The briefing follows years of questions about whether the Prince has any personal relationship with God or Christianity, and what the reign of a future King William V will look like when it comes to the Church. It gave an answer \u2013 of sorts.<\/p>\n And that answer blends an unswerving public duty to support the institution of the Church of England, alongside a \u201cquiet faith\u201d that is far more questioning and nuanced.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Prince of Wales\u2019s commitment to the Church of England is sometimes quieter than people expect, and for that reason it is not always fully understood,\u201d said the aide. \u201cThose who know him well recognise that his connection to the Church, and to the sense of duty that comes with it, runs deep and is grounded in something personal and sincere.\u201d<\/p>\n He is still sounding out his own faith and there is no confirmation that he necessarily believes in God, although those who know him err on the side of \u201cyes\u201d if pushed.<\/p>\n Yet those around him believe this poses no problem in relation to his future role as head of the Church. Rather, sources say, frankness about his Christian journey brings \u201cauthenticity\u201d that will ultimately only enrich his bond with the Church.<\/p>\n \u201cHe takes his role very seriously and wants to build a deeper relationship with the Church,\u201d a source tells The Telegraph. \u201cBut, as with everything he does, he will do it in an authentic way.\u201d<\/p>\n Prince William does not, in other words, want to claim deeper faith or theological knowledge than he has, but plans to make his future as Supreme Governor count \u201cin his own thoughtful way\u201d. Those who have worked with him point to the overlaps between the Church of England\u2019s values and the Prince\u2019s royal work so far. \u201cCommunity, talking to your neighbours, looking after the vulnerable \u2026 there\u2019s a lot of crossover in values,\u201d one concedes.<\/p>\n