Prince William, who is in line to become the head of the Church of England, described himself as having a “quiet faith,” offering a rare glimpse into his personal approach to religion.
The prince, who is neither a devout Christian nor a weekly churchgoer like his father, King Charles III, or his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, has long faced scrutiny from the British public over his commitment to his faith and the role it may play when he becomes monarch, according to The Times.
Ahead of Wednesday’s installation of Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury — the first woman to hold the role — William shared his “quieter” commitment to the church while reaffirming his desire to forge “a strong and meaningful bond with the Church and its leadership.”
“For him, it is a drawing of a line in the sand of where he’s at and it’s really important that it (the question over his commitment to the church) is cleared up,” a source close to William told The Times.
“His feeling is, ‘I might not be at church every day but I believe in it, I want to support it and this is an important aspect of my role and the next role and I will take it very seriously, in my own way.’”
Despite William’s private relationship with the church, he recognizes the deep sense of duty that comes with becoming the head of the Church of England and intends approach that role in a personal and sincere way.
“Faith, service and responsibility are themes that have long shaped the role he will one day inherit, and they are things he approaches in his own thoughtful way,” an aide to William told the outlet.
“At a time when institutions can be seen simply through a social or cultural lens, he understands that the church’s role goes beyond this,” the aide continued. “It is not only part of the nation’s heritage, but a living expression of faith, rooted in prayer, compassion and a belief in grace and redemption.”
“He understands the importance of the role he will inherit and is committed to carrying it forward with sincerity, authenticity and a clear sense of purpose.”
William, who was baptized at 6 weeks and confirmed at 14, has recently begun building his relationship with Mullally, the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
Last month, William and Kate, the Princess of Wales, visited Archbishop Mullally at Lambeth Palace, where they enjoyed a “warm and substantive conversation” over tea, cake and fruit salad, a royal aide told The Times.
The visit reflected William’s “genuine interest not only in the church’s work, but in its role as a guardian of a distinctive and ancient English spiritual tradition that remains relevant in contemporary life,” the aide noted.
Following the meeting, Archbishop Mullally called welcoming William and Kate into Lambeth Palace a “privilege.”
“I know we hold the same hope for a better world and I look forward to working together in the years to come,” she added, per People. “I will continue to hold them and their family in my prayers.”
While eyeing the throne, William previously said, “Change is on my agenda,” adding, “If you’re too intrinsically attached to history, you can’t possibly have any flexibility,” he told Eugene Levy during a lengthy appearance on the actor’s reality series, “The Reluctant Traveler.”
“That’s the bit that excites me is the idea of being able to bring some change,” he added. “Not overly radical change, but changes that I think need to happen.”
Still, his future role as monarch is not “something I wake up in the morning and think about,” William said.
He prefers to set his focus on something more important. “If I’m not true to myself and I’m not true to to what I stand for and believe in, then kind of it doesn’t really matter who you are,” he said.
William did not specify what sorts of changes he has in mind as the future monarch, but hopes to leave an impression on his own son, Prince George, who is second in line to the throne.
“I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do, a world and a job that actually does impact people’s lives for the better.”