Why Was Henry VIII Named Defender of the Faith?

From History Calling

WHY are British monarchs called DEFENDER OF THE FAITH? Who first received this title and when and why did they get it? Well as you’ve probably guessed from the title of this video, most of the answer lies with Henry VIII as it was he who was first granted this moniker in 1521 by the then Pope Leo X. This grant was then confirmed in 1523 by Pope Clement VII. The title was in recognition of the fact that Henry had recently written a book, Assertio Septem Sacramentorum, in which he lambasted the teachings of Martin Luther and defended the Catholic faith, an ironic stance to take given how his future relations with Rome would play out and his pivotal role in the English Reformation. The Papacy ultimately revoked the title and excommunicated Henry, but his own Parliament reinstated it in 1543 and made it hereditary, something never intended by Pope Leo, who envisioned it as a personal title to be held by Henry only and which would die with him. This Act of Parliament is the reason that Henry’s successors have continued to hold the title to this day and why the letters F.D., short for Fidei Defensor (or Fidei Defensatrix for women) appear on British coinage, for this is the Latin phrase meaning Defender of the Faith. In this English history documentary from History Calling, I look at the history of the title, why Henry wanted it, the rumours that he didn’t even write the Assertio Septem Sacramentorum and how and why the title has survived into modern times, despite the fact that his daughter, Mary I, returned England to the Papacy (briefly) and arguably should have dropped the title.