Supreme Head of the Church of England
Supreme Head of the Church of England | |
---|---|
Church of England | |
Style | Majesty |
Residence | Palace of Whitehall |
Constituting instrument | Act of Supremacy of 1534 |
Precursor | None |
Formation | 1531 |
First holder | Henry VIII |
Final holder | Mary I |
Abolished | 1555 |
Succession | Supreme Governor of the Church of England |
The title of Supreme Head of the Church of England was created in 1531
Henry's daughter, Queen Mary I, a staunch Catholic, attempted to restore the English church's allegiance to the Pope and repealed the Act of Supremacy in 1555.[2] Her half-sister, Elizabeth I, took the throne in 1558 and Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy of 1558 that restored the original act.[3] The new Oath of Supremacy that nobles were required to swear gave the Queen's title as supreme governor of the church rather than supreme head, to avoid the charge that the monarchy was claiming divinity or usurping Christ, whom the Bible explicitly identifies as Head of the Church.
List of supreme heads
Name | Years | Notes |
---|---|---|
Henry VIII of England
|
1531–1547 | |
Edward VI of England
|
1547–1553 | With Thomas Cranmer, authorised the Book of Common Prayer. |
Lady Jane Grey | 1553 | Reign's legitimacy is disputed. |
Mary I of England and Philip | 1553–1555 | From 1554 the couple omitted the title, without statutory authority until authorised by Parliament in 1555. Promoted the Catholic Reformation in England and Wales. |
References
- ^ a b "Henry VIII". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1910.
- ^ "Mary Tudor". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1910.
- ^ Gee, Henry; Hardy, William John, eds. (1896). "Elizabeth's Supremacy Act, Restoring Ancient Jurisdiction (1559), 1 Elizabeth, Cap. 1". Documents Illustrative of English Church History. New York: Macmillan: 442–458. Retrieved 23 March 2018.