Uploaded March 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 minutes ago
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.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
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YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
TUDOR MONARCHS’ PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0FD_vatnjVq9egboPYy8Kg0
SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII PLAYLIST youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0Hb5Wjykc2hBrBddQYXDUqU
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
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Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
LEARN MORE
Franny Moyle, The King’s Painter: The Life and Times of Hans Holbein (Apollo, 2021). amzn.to/3h4uU8n (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3BGGMXz (US LINK)
Antonia Fraser, The Six Wives Of Henry VIII (2nd edn, Phoenix, 2009) amzn.to/3atiEfi (UK link) OR amzn.to/36IqD5r (US link)
David Starkey, Six Wives: the Queens of Henry VIII (Vintage, 2004) amzn.to/3k9uD4Z (UK link) OR amzn.to/3wImKIh (US link)
BUY OR RENT:
The Tudors, season 1 amzn.to/3rFmveg (UK link) OR amzn.to/2VCwQ0j (US link)
The Tudors, season 2 amzn.to/3m64HIn (UK link) OR amzn.to/2VMPnHw (US link)
The Tudors, season 3 amzn.to/3wiwPwi (UK link) OR amzn.to/3BijsPB (US link)
The Tudors, season 4 amzn.to/3rNeggF (UK link) OR amzn.to/3z16S58 (US link)
Henry VIII and his Six Wives (2016 docu-drama) amzn.to/3jiCkag
Six Wives with Lucy Worsley (2016 docu-drama) amzn.to/3hd93vd (UK link) OR amzn.to/3wH2mr2 (US link)
DVDS:
The Tudors complete collection: amzn.to/3gWs4Ty (UK link) OR amzn.to/3z3Ef7n (US link)
Henry VIII (2003) amzn.to/2ZrjK4U (UK link) OR amzn.to/3z73ndj (US link)
Henry VIII and his Six Wives (2016 docu-drama): amzn.to/3gXU4GH
Six Wives with Lucy Worsley (2016 docu-drama): amzn.to/3h7Qh8z (UK link) OR amzn.to/3xKuBGA (US link)
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
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.
BUY MY BOOK (Find Your Irish Ancestors Online): amzn.to/3Z2ChnG
Website (with 2 FREE DOWNLOADS): historycallingofficial.com
Patreon: patreon.com/historycalling
Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/historycalling
Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
TUDOR MONARCHS’ PLAYLIST
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0FD_vatnjVq9egboPYy8Kg0
SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII PLAYLIST youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSjVq5Qtb0Hb5Wjykc2hBrBddQYXDUqU
GEAR USED
Apple MacBook Pro Laptop (for video editing): amzn.to/3S6IoRK
DJI Drone: amzn.to/38h1vXr (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/39hROZm (US LINK)
Go-Pro Hero 10 camera: amzn.to/3EPIK9U (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rTWScL (US LINK)
GoPro 3-Way 2.0 (Tripod/Grip/Arm): amzn.to/37CdC1r (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3vaVxjU (US LINK)
Memory Card: amzn.to/36QvcOQ (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3KeLZZs (US LINK)
Microphone: amzn.to/3MFtoaK (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3rYtjH8 (US LINK)
LEARN MORE
Franny Moyle, The King’s Painter: The Life and Times of Hans Holbein (Apollo, 2021). amzn.to/3h4uU8n (UK LINK) OR amzn.to/3BGGMXz (US LINK)
Antonia Fraser, The Six Wives Of Henry VIII (2nd edn, Phoenix, 2009) amzn.to/3atiEfi (UK link) OR amzn.to/36IqD5r (US link)
David Starkey, Six Wives: the Queens of Henry VIII (Vintage, 2004) amzn.to/3k9uD4Z (UK link) OR amzn.to/3wImKIh (US link)
BUY OR RENT:
The Tudors, season 1 amzn.to/3rFmveg (UK link) OR amzn.to/2VCwQ0j (US link)
The Tudors, season 2 amzn.to/3m64HIn (UK link) OR amzn.to/2VMPnHw (US link)
The Tudors, season 3 amzn.to/3wiwPwi (UK link) OR amzn.to/3BijsPB (US link)
The Tudors, season 4 amzn.to/3rNeggF (UK link) OR amzn.to/3z16S58 (US link)
Henry VIII and his Six Wives (2016 docu-drama) amzn.to/3jiCkag
Six Wives with Lucy Worsley (2016 docu-drama) amzn.to/3hd93vd (UK link) OR amzn.to/3wH2mr2 (US link)
DVDS:
The Tudors complete collection: amzn.to/3gWs4Ty (UK link) OR amzn.to/3z3Ef7n (US link)
Henry VIII (2003) amzn.to/2ZrjK4U (UK link) OR amzn.to/3z73ndj (US link)
Henry VIII and his Six Wives (2016 docu-drama): amzn.to/3gXU4GH
Six Wives with Lucy Worsley (2016 docu-drama): amzn.to/3h7Qh8z (UK link) OR amzn.to/3xKuBGA (US link)
NB: Links above may be affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I earn a small commission. It in no way affects the price you pay.
Creative Commons licenses used see creativecommons.org/licenses
