Sovereign Decree
Sovereign Decree on the Establishment and Regulation of the Sovereign’s Ecclesiastical Household
SD-2023-0006 · Issued 1 May 2023
CONSIDERING that princes are stewards as well as rulers, and that the peace of the realm is strengthened when the Crown, by example, keeps holy things in due honour;
WHEREAS the spiritual care of the Sovereign and the Royal Family is a continuing duty of the Crown;
WHEREAS the orderly conduct of worship, pastoral counsel, and works of charity requires a constituted Ecclesiastical Household;
WHEREAS a defined structure, comprising Chaplains, a Protopresbyter, a Royal Confessor, and a Royal Almoner, promotes dignity, accountability, and continuity in religious ministration;
AND WHEREAS it is meet and proper to define the offices, duties, insignia, and governance of that Household;
NOW, THEREFORE, WE, in Our Sovereign capacity and having duly considered the advice of Our counsel, do hereby decree as follows:
Contents
9 articles- Art. I Establishment of the Ecclesiastical Household
- Art. II The Office of Protopresbyter
- Art. III The Office of Royal Confessor
- Art. IV The Office of Royal Almoner
- Art. V Duties of the Royal Chaplains
- Art. VI Duties of the Honorary Chaplains
- Art. VII Appointment and Tenure
- Art. VIII Dispute Resolution
- Art. IX Enactment and Force
How to cite
SD-2023-0006, “Sovereign Decree on the Establishment and Regulation of the Sovereign’s Ecclesiastical Household” (issued 1 May 2023).