# The Crown at the head of things The reach of the British monarchy as head and patron: Grand Masters of English Freemasonry from the Prince of Wales to the Duke of Kent, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Head of the Commonwealth, head of the armed forces, and patron of hundreds of institutions and orders of chivalry. *This story part of: Military and security* *Courts, Masonic ritual, and the strawman pseudolaw myth parallel this story* ## c. 1348 — Edward III founds the Order of the Garter King Edward III founded the Order of the Garter, England's oldest and most senior order of chivalry, with the monarch as its Sovereign. Membership has always been in the monarch's personal gift, historically used to reward loyalty and cement alliances among the nobility. The order still exists, with the King appointing new Knights and Ladies of the Garter each year. ## 11 October 1521 — Pope Leo X grants Henry VIII the title Defender of the Faith Pope Leo X awarded King Henry VIII the title 'Defender of the Faith' in recognition of a treatise Henry wrote attacking Martin Luther's theology. The title survived Henry's later break with Rome and was reconfirmed by Parliament for the English crown in 1544. British monarchs, including Charles III, still hold the title today, though its original Catholic meaning has been reinterpreted for a Protestant, and now multi-faith, monarchy. ## November 1534 — Act of Supremacy makes Henry VIII head of the English Church Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy, declaring Henry VIII 'Supreme Head' of the Church of England and formally separating it from papal authority. This followed his failed attempt to get an annulment from Catherine of Aragon approved by Rome. It established the constitutional link between the English crown and the national church that still shapes the monarchy today. ## 1559 — Elizabeth I's Act of Supremacy creates the title Supreme Governor A new Act of Supremacy under Queen Elizabeth I restyled the monarch's headship of the Church of England as 'Supreme Governor' rather than 'Supreme Head,' a softer formula meant to be more acceptable to a woman ruler and to reformed theology. The title Supreme Governor has been used by every English and then British monarch since. It remains part of the monarch's formal role today. ## 15 July 1662 — Charles II grants the Royal Society its royal charter King Charles II granted a royal charter to the Royal Society, formally establishing it as Britain's national academy of sciences with the monarch as its patron. The charter gave the Society legal standing and royal endorsement, though not funding or direction over its scientific work. Every British monarch since has continued as its patron, a role now held by Charles III. ## c. 1687 — Order of the Thistle revived as Scotland's senior order of chivalry King James VII of Scotland (James II of England) revived the Order of the Thistle, Scotland's most senior order of chivalry, with the sovereign as its head. Membership is restricted to a small number of Scottish knights and ladies chosen personally by the monarch. It continues today alongside the Garter as a mark of royal favour. ## 1725 — Order of the Bath founded under royal patronage King George I founded the Order of the Bath as a British order of chivalry, with the sovereign at its head, used to honour military officers and senior civil servants. It remains one of several orders, alongside the Garter and the Thistle, in which the monarch personally confers membership. These orders form part of the honours system the Crown still administers. ## 5 November 1737 — Frederick, Prince of Wales, initiated as a Freemason Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales and heir to George II, was initiated into Freemasonry at Kew, becoming the first member of the British royal family to join the fraternity. This began a tradition of royal involvement in English Freemasonry that continues today. It set a precedent that royal princes, not just aristocrats, could hold high office in the lodges. ## c. 1748 — Trooping the Colour formalized as the sovereign's official birthday parade Trooping the Colour, a military parade combining the ceremony of trooping a regiment's colours with a celebration of the monarch's official birthday, became an annual fixture under George II. It visibly displays the sovereign's constitutional position as head of the armed forces. The exact year the birthday parade and colour ceremony merged is not precisely fixed in the historical record, so it is treated here as approximate. ## 1782 — Duke of Cumberland becomes Grand Master of the Moderns Prince Henry Frederick, Duke of Cumberland, brother of George III, became Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England (the 'Moderns'). His tenure cemented the practice of a senior royal duke sitting at the head of English Freemasonry. He served until his death in 1790. ## 1790 — Prince of Wales becomes Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge The Prince of Wales, later King George IV, was installed as Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England (the 'Moderns'), succeeding the Duke of Cumberland. He held the position until the union of the rival English Grand Lodges in 1813. His term is documented in Grand Lodge records and is one of the clearest examples of a future monarch holding formal Masonic office. ## 27 December 1813 — Duke of Sussex leads the union of English Freemasonry Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, became the first Grand Master of the newly formed United Grand Lodge of England, created by merging the rival 'Antients' and 'Moderns' Grand Lodges. His brother, Edward, Duke of Kent, briefly served as Grand Master of the Antients to help broker the merger. Sussex went on to lead the united body for over three decades until his death in 1843. Some writers treat this royal stewardship of Freemasonry as evidence of hidden elite control; mainstream historians treat it as a well documented instance of aristocratic patronage rather than proof of a secret ruling hand. ## 1874 — Prince of Wales becomes Grand Master while heir to the throne Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, was installed as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England. He held the office for 27 years, stepping down only on his accession to the throne in 1901. His long, well recorded tenure is often cited as the high point of visible royal leadership of English Freemasonry. ## 1901 — Duke of Connaught becomes Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, third son of Queen Victoria, was installed as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England following Edward VII's accession. He served until 1939, one of the longest tenures in the office. His term kept the Grand Mastership inside the royal family through both world war eras. ## November 1926 — Balfour Declaration defines dominions as equal under the Crown The Imperial Conference of 1926 issued the Balfour Declaration, describing Britain and its self-governing dominions as autonomous communities within the British Empire, equal in status and united by common allegiance to the Crown. This reframed the empire as a partnership of nations sharing one monarch rather than a hierarchy ruled from London. It laid the groundwork for the later Commonwealth. ## 11 December 1931 — Statute of Westminster gives dominions legal equality with Britain The Statute of Westminster gave legal effect to the Balfour Declaration, granting Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Irish Free State, and Newfoundland full legislative independence from Britain while keeping the monarch as shared head of state. It is regarded as the founding legal document of the modern Commonwealth. It ended Westminster's power to legislate for the dominions without their consent. ## 1939 — Duke of Kent becomes Grand Master, dies in wartime service Prince George, Duke of Kent, son of George V, became Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1939. He continued to hold the office through the early part of the Second World War until his death in an air crash in Scotland in August 1942 while on active RAF service. His death ended a continuous run of royal Grand Masters that had lasted, with brief gaps, since the 18th century. ## 28 April 1949 — London Declaration creates the Head of the Commonwealth role The London Declaration allowed India to become a republic while remaining a full member of the Commonwealth, on condition that it accept King George VI as 'Head of the Commonwealth,' a symbolic title separate from being head of state. This decoupled the Commonwealth from a shared crown of state and let republics join as equal members. It is the origin of the title now held by Charles III. ## 6 February 1952 — Elizabeth II becomes Head of the Commonwealth on her accession On the death of George VI, Elizabeth II acceded to the throne and simultaneously became Head of the Commonwealth, a position she held for 70 years. Unlike the crown of the United Kingdom, the position is not automatically hereditary and in principle could be given to someone else by Commonwealth leaders. In practice it passed within the royal family without dispute. ## c. 1952 — Elizabeth II becomes Patron of the Scout Association Following her father George VI's death, Elizabeth II took over as Patron of the Scout Association, continuing a tradition of royal patronage of the scouting movement founded by Robert Baden-Powell in 1907. The role is symbolic, involving public appearances and occasional honours rather than administrative control. Charles III now holds the patronage. ## c. 1952 — Elizabeth II takes up Colonel-in-Chief roles across Commonwealth regiments Following her accession, Elizabeth II took on honorary Colonel-in-Chief appointments for dozens of regiments across the British and Commonwealth armies, a role passed down and expanded throughout her reign as other royals also took up such appointments. Colonels-in-Chief have no operational command; the position is ceremonial, tied to regimental history and morale. Other senior royals, including Princess Anne and Prince Edward, hold similar titles today. ## 2 June 1953 — Elizabeth II crowned and sworn to defend the Protestant faith At her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II took an oath to maintain the laws of God and the true profession of the Christian gospel, and to preserve the settlement of the Church of England. She was anointed and crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, reaffirming the monarch's dual role as head of state and Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The ceremony has been broadly unchanged in structure since medieval times. ## 1956 — Prince Philip founds the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, founded the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, a youth achievement program combining volunteering, skills, physical activity, and expeditions. It has since expanded to over 100 countries and remains under royal patronage. Prince Edward now leads the charity as its chair. ## 14 June 1967 — Duke of Kent installed as Grand Master of English Freemasonry Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, was installed as Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England. As of the mid-2020s he remains in the role, making him the longest serving Grand Master in the Grand Lodge's history. His tenure is the most recent and best documented example of continuous royal leadership over British Freemasonry. ## 1969 — Duke of Kent becomes President of the All England Lawn Tennis Club Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, became President of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, which runs the Wimbledon championships, a position he held until 2021. Members of the royal family have traditionally presented the trophies at Wimbledon and occupied the Royal Box. The role has no bearing on how the tournament itself is run or officiated. ## 1976 — Prince Charles founds The Prince's Trust Prince Charles founded The Prince's Trust to help disadvantaged young people in Britain find work and training, using part of his Royal Navy severance pay as seed funding. It grew into one of the UK's largest youth charities, supporting hundreds of thousands of people. It is one of many charities founded directly by a working royal rather than simply patronized by one. ## 4 February 2013 — Crown Nominations Commission process confirms Justin Welby as Archbishop Justin Welby was enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury after being formally nominated to the Queen through the Crown Nominations Commission and confirmed by royal letters patent. The monarch's role in appointing Church of England archbishops and bishops is now largely ceremonial, with the Commission doing the real selection, but the formal act of appointment still runs through the Crown. This illustrates how the monarch's church headship functions in modern practice. ## 22 June 2017 — Charles inherits the title Captain General Royal Marines from his father On his 96th birthday, Prince Philip transferred the ceremonial title of Captain General Royal Marines to his son, Prince Charles, marking Philip's retirement from public military patronages. The Captain General title has been held by a member of the royal family since the role's creation, symbolizing the sovereign's household link to the corps. It carries no operational authority. ## 20 April 2018 — Commonwealth leaders agree Charles will be the next Head At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, leaders formally agreed that Prince Charles would succeed his mother as Head of the Commonwealth, confirming that the position, though not automatically hereditary, would stay with the British monarch. The decision followed lobbying by the UK government and the Queen herself. It settled uncertainty about whether the role might rotate to another member state's leader. ## 8 September 2022 — Charles III becomes Head of the Commonwealth Following Queen Elizabeth II's death, Charles III became King of the United Kingdom and, per the 2018 agreement among Commonwealth leaders, Head of the Commonwealth, an organization of 56 member states covering roughly a third of the world's population. The role carries no governing power over member states. It is largely symbolic, focused on promoting cooperation among members. ## c. 2022 — Elizabeth II holds patronages of over 600 organizations by the end of her reign By the time of her death, Queen Elizabeth II was patron of more than 600 charities, professional bodies, and institutions, ranging from major medical research funders to small local societies. Royal patronage typically means lending a name and occasional public appearances to raise a cause's profile, not funding or governing it. Charles III has since reviewed and reassigned many of these patronages among working royals. Some commentators frame this dense web of patronages as evidence of quiet royal influence over civil society; mainstream accounts describe it instead as a long-standing, largely ceremonial fundraising and prestige function of the monarchy.