The Royal Mint has revealed the new 50 pence coin featuring for the first time the portrait of King Charles III. Like all the coins of his mother, Elizabeth II, this one has a series of Latin acronyms surrounding the monarch’s effigy.
The acronyms, D.G., Rex, F.D, stand for: by the Grace of God, King, Defender of the Faith. Defender of the Faith was a title first bestowed on Henry VIII by a grateful pope for Henry’s rebuttal of Martin Luther’s criticism of the faith. When Henry, in turn, split away from Rome, he hung on to the title. Our monarchs have used it ever since, signifying their fidelity to Christianity. But how has this changed and how does it relate to life at Walhampton? Read our Head's blog to find out more...