Secular head of state

Our head of state, the monarch, holds the title 'Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England'.

This means the monarch must also be "a faithful Protestant" in communion with the Church of England – an anachronism in one of the least religious and most religiously diverse countries in the world.

Despite dwindling congregations, the monarch must also take an oath to maintain the Church of England and to preserve the Church of Scotland.

The position of head of state should not be reserved for members of one particular faith. Most countries allow citizens of any religious affiliation to be head of state. Everyone should be free to follow any personal faith, or none. The monarch is the only person in the country not free to have whatever personal faith they wish or have none at all.

The ties between the Church and the monarchy are typified by the coronation. The UK is the only democracy to have such an explicitly Christian ceremony for its head of state's accession, with the monarch pledging to maintain the "Laws of God" during an Anglican coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey. The Church has a key role in the coronation of a new monarch, who is crowned and anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The coronation also has sectarian anti-Catholic overtones. Catholics are explicitly excluded from becoming monarch.

The monarch's declaration of preferential status for one denomination of one religion renders everyone who is not of that religion less than full citizens.

If British monarchs are to continue acting as head of state, they should relinquish the role of head of the Church in order to end the unfair privilege afforded to the Church of England, and show equal regard for citizens of all faiths and none.