ABSTRACT
England was governed by a monarch. Changes to the royal style occurred during Henry VIII's reign. In 1521, Pope Leo X conferred the title of fidei defensor (defender of the faith) on Henry VIII. Henry was the first monarch to place a numeral after his or her name (1525). In 1541, Henry was declared King rather than Lord of Ireland by statute (33 Henry VII, c. 1). Both Henry and his son Edward maintained the style: Dei Gratia Angliae, Franciae, et Hiberniae Rex, Fidei Defensor, et in terra Ecclesiae Anglicanae et Hibernicae supremum caput (by the grace of God king of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and Supreme Head of the Church of England and Ireland on earth). The Act of 1 & 2 Ph. & Mary repealed the statute of 1541 (35 Henry VIII, c. 3) by which it was declared high treason to deprive the monarch of this title and the claim to suprem-acy was dropped. Philip's titles were added to those of Mary. When Elizabeth succeeded she adopted the style: ‘Dei Gratia Angliae, Franciae et Hiberniae regia, fidei defensor …’.
