Letter: Church and state

Sir: I see no reason why the monarch cannot have the same relationship with the English church as with the Scottish, the one Anglican and the other Presbyterian, both established. Similarly the title of papal origin, Defender of the Faith, has been used by Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran monarchs and could happily continue unchanged, as could the quasi-liturgical ceremonies of the royal year.

Andreas Whittam Smith is surely on the best ground in calling into question the use of the prerogative powers of the Crown by the Prime Minister and government of the day. Any number of people in crowns, decorations and ermine and armies of people walking backwards will do us very little harm, and maybe some good, but the exercise of these powers is, to say the least, dangerous and open to abuse.

The Rev MICHAEL THOMPSON

Stamford, Lincolnshire