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LONDON: Prince clashed with Carey over his interest in Islam
THE TELEGRAPH
LONDOND (9/4/2005)--Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, was concerned that the Prince of Wales's passion for Islam was hindering his development as a Christian, writes Andrew Alderson.
In his letter to Jonathan Dimbleby, Prince Charles reveals that he had strained relations with George Carey over his desire, when he becomes King and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, to be styled "defender of faith" and defender of "the Divine" - rather than "defender of the faith". The letter makes it clear that the archbishop (above, with the Prince) had rebuked him for his views.
"I wish you'd been there for the archbishop!" the Prince told Dimbleby. "Didn't really appreciate what I was getting at by talking about 'the Divine' and felt that I had said far more about Islam than I did about Christianity - and was therefore worried about my development as a Christian."
According to senior royal aides, Prince Charles did not have a great deal of respect for Lord Carey's views and, it appears, the feelings were reciprocated.
Prince Charles's regard for Islam was revealed in the documentary, Charles: The Private Man, the Public Role, and in Dimbleby's authorised biography, The Prince of Wales.
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