Prince William warned against 'shunning' one important future role

Late Queen Elizabeth II's former chaplain, in an interview, claimed that Prince William "has to accept" his future role as head of the Church of England or "step aside and abdicate."

Gavin Ashenden believes reports in a bombshell royal book by journalist Robert Hardman that the future King may shun his role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

"The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy" claims William "is not instinctively comfortable in a faith environment."

Ashenden, in conversation with GB News, claimed: "I think it's very interesting and it's almost certainly true. William doesn't show any signs of being alive to the vibrancy of Christian faith.

"And in that sense, he is very representative of his generation, but I don't think he understands the monarchy because although lots of people have talked about disestablishing the Church of England and changing our constitutional arrangements, they're immensely complex and they go back through 500 years of legislation."

"What we could do is have a referendum and have a republic and start all over again. Lot's of countries do that. But unpicking and unwinding our present arrangements are beyond the scope of our resources. It would take an army of lawyers ten years to do it.

"So I think he either has to accept the fact that this is a role he plays, whether he likes it or not, which is part actually of the burden of monarchy, or if he feels that strongly and he can't do it, then step aside and abdicate and see if there's somebody else in the Royal succession who can."

Hardman wrote in his book: "The prospect of there being a future monarch who is not head of the Commonwealth is not nearly as big a leap of the royal imagination, however, as having a monarch who is not Supreme Governor of the Church of England. His father is very spiritual and happy to talk about faith, but the Prince is not."

"He doesn't go to church every Sunday, but then nor do the large majority of the country. He might go at Christmas and Easter, but that's it. He very much respects the institutions, but he is not instinctively comfortable in a faith environment."