In England there is a constitutional link between church and state. The official church of
the state is the Church of England. The Church of England is called Anglican Church in
other countries and the Episcopal Church in Scotland and in the USA. The Church of
England is a Protestant church and has existed since the Reformation in the 1530s. The
King or Queen (the Monarch) is the head, or Supreme Governor, of the Church of
England. The monarch is not allowed to marry anyone who is not Protestant. The
spiritual leader of the Church of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury. The monarch
has the right to select the Archbishop and other senior church officials, but usually the
choice is made by the Prime Minister and a committee appointed by the Church. Several
Church of England bishops sit in the House of Lords. In Scotland, the established church
is the Presbyterian Church; its head is the Chief Moderator. There is no established
church in Wales or in Northern Ireland .

Other Protestant Christian groups in the UK are Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists and
Quakers. 10% of Christians are Roman Catholic (40% in Northern Ireland).

Patron saints

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have a national saint called a patron
saint. Each saint has a feast day. In the past these were celebrated as holy days when
many people had a day off work. Today these are not public holidays except for 17
March in Northern Ireland.

Patron Saints’ days
St. David’s Day, Wales	1 March
St. Patrick’s Day, N. Ireland	17 March
St. George’s Day, England	23 April
St. Andrew’s Day, Scotland	30 November

There are also four public holidays a year called Bank Holidays. These are of nor
religious or national significance.

Check that you understand

The percentage of the UK population who say they are Christian

How many people say they have no religion

What percentage are Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist

Everyone in the UK has the right to practise their religion

The Anglican church, or Church of England, is the church of the state in England
(established church)

The monarch (king or queen) is head of the Church of England

In Scotland the established church is the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. In Wales and
Northern Ireland there is no established church.

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