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Defender of the Faith facts for kids

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Henry-VIII-kingofengland 1491-1547
Henry VIII

Defender of the Faith (Latin: Fidei Defensor) is a title belonging to the leader of the Church of England. It was originally conferred upon King Henry VIII of England by Pope Leo X on 11 October 1521 as a reward for the king having written a pamphlet in defense of the sacraments against Martin Luther (Declaration of the Seven Sacraments Against Martin Luther). King James V of Scotland received a similar title from Pope Paul III.

When Henry broke with the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Paul III took the title away. It was returned to the king by Parliament in 1544. The abbreviation Fid. Def. or the letters F.D. have appeared on British coinage from the time of George I. Defender of the Faith is a title still carried by British monarchs.

Images for kids

  • 1555 gold medal Queen Mary I of England

    Medal of Queen Mary I with the legend "Maria I Reg. Angl. Franc. et Hib. Fidei Defensatrix"

  • StateLibQld 1 205460 Church decorations in Vulture Street, South Brisbane for the royal visit in 1954

    Church decorations in Vulture Street, South Brisbane for the royal visit, 1954

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Fidei defensor para niños

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