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Monday, November 17, 2008
HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, turned 60 last week. This makes Prince Charles the longest-living heir to the throne in British history. It also raises the question of whether he will ever be king. After all, if Queen Elizabeth II lives only as long as her mother, that means adding another twenty years to her reign. The Man who Would Be King would then be 80 himself. The math is not on his side.Even so, the Prince has been working on changes he proposes to the 1953 Royal Titles Act. The most significant proposal is this -- Prince Charles, if crowned as King, wants to be known as "Defender of Faith" rather than "Defender of the Faith." This represents a seismic shift, but it perfectly fits the postmodern Prince.
To paraphrase another leader of his generation, it depends on what the meaning of "the" is. At least for Britons it might be more palatable than what he first said he wanted to be called. Read the particulars in Al Mohler's blog:
Defender of Faith? Throne Language for the Post-Modern Prince
Labels: Social Observation
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