Fiancée of British royal abandons Catholicism to preserve succession

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Comments: 21

Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly

London, England, May 2, 2008 / 02:16 am (CNA).- A woman engaged to a member of the British royal family has renounced her Catholic faith to maintain her fiancée’s position in the line of succession.

The Times Online reports that Autumn Kelly, 31, was received into the Church of England. She is to be married to Peter Phillips, Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest grandson, on May 17.

British monarchs and their heirs are barred from becoming or marrying Catholics according to the 1701 Act of Settlement. Phillips, who is currently eleventh in line to the throne, would have had to renounce his claim had she not converted.

Kelly was reportedly advised for several months before deciding to convert. “She was not asked to do this; she did it of her own accord,” a source told the Daily Telegraph.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman confirmed the conversion had taken place and said that, "She was welcomed into the Church of England some time ago."

Kelly, a management consultant from Canada, met Phillips at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in 2003. She moved to the United Kingdom to be with him shortly thereafter.

Her parents are said to be enthusiastic about their daughter’s engagement. I’ve met him a few times and he’s a great guy, a really nice person,” her mother, Kathleen, told the Times Online.

She said that she did not think that there would be a problem with her daughter being a “foreigner”.

“I think attitudes to things like that have changed,” she said. “Autumn is a very serious and intelligent young woman. She may be young, but she knows the world. And he’s a great guy. Isn’t that what counts?”

It is not known whether Kelly was a practicing Catholic, though she was educated at Catholic schools.

Comments: 21

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Kathy
Chicago, Illinois 05/13/2008 04:56 PM EST

First of all, I think it is very sad that she so easily has given up her faith. Secondly, isn't it time for the British to give up their anti-Catholicism??

Published by: Laura Bertucci
Bay City Michigan 05/09/2008 12:44 PM EST

How can someone reject
salvation so easily?
The lure of earthly
royalty has claimed another victim..unless this lady was "never really" interested in her Catholic faith which is most probably the case like so many!

Published by: Bruno
Rome 05/05/2008 12:45 PM EST

English Royal Family is a joke. They have been a jokes since Henry VIII. this act will cause her automatic excommunication from the Catholic Church.

Published by: Maria
Canada 05/03/2008 07:34 PM EST

I think two things are so wrong in this whole scenario but takes us back hundreds of years to Henry VIII -
Autumn just gave up her Faith -
It is a tragedy that the monarchy who began the Church of England, under Henry VIII, who refused to listen to the Pope who told him he could not marry another woman, is quite farcical, and to have such a law in this day and age - it is indeed all wrong! For anyone to give up their Faith for this is beyond me!

Published by: gs gerace
austin, tx 05/03/2008 06:00 PM EST

And we're complaining about CHINA'S civil rights discrimination?
What about Britain's religious bigotry?

Published by: NIkki Lehnhardt
New Orleans, La USA 05/03/2008 05:19 PM EST

Outrageous that state mandated bigotry still exists. One billion catholics should be outraged. First the PM has to wait to convert until after he leaves office, now this. Come on cousins, you're better than this.

Published by: kathyB
Rochester,NY 05/03/2008 01:43 PM EST

Well, what would public opinion be if the law said that anyone from the Royal family is forbidden to marry a Black or Jewish person. Heck maybe it does. Check it out. The anti-Catholicism goes back to Henry the VIII who could not control his lust or pride and denounced the Catholic Church because they refused to allow him to divorce his wife and trade her in like a car. But wait..doesn't the Royal family detest divorce but yet at the same time continue the "no Catholic policy" of Henry the VIII. Seems confusing to me.

Published by: Mabel McDonald
CamdentonMissouriUSA 05/03/2008 11:38 AM EST

Anyone who deeply and devoutly understands what the Holy Catholic Faith truly is does not give it up.

Published by: Louis
Singapore 05/03/2008 07:44 AM EST

What a horrible shame. I guess her religion really was not that important to her. What a pity! All we can do is pray for the souls of those who abandon their faith.

Published by: puddyhuston
UK 05/03/2008 07:25 AM EST

I think it is indeed very sad that this law still exists and it should be changed.
11th in line to the throne is so far out that it was I think wrong of her to change her religion for that reason.
Far better she gave good example and helped bring the Royal family back to the one true church which they split from in Henry 8th time.

Published by: Warren Anderson
Victoria, BC, Canada 05/02/2008 11:41 PM EST

Ah, love is so very blind. However, hope springs eternal. I wonder if this young lady will be chatting any time soon with Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent (Catholic), or her husband the Prince (who set aside his place in the succession)? Likewise, perhaps Miss Kelly should have a chat with Katherine, Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent (who converted to Catholicism). Too bad she couldn't find a nice Catholic man such as that other Kelly (no relation as far as I know), i.e., Grace of Monaco. Perhaps Mr. Phillips, by style a commoner too, may heed the call to the Catholic Faith, in time.

Published by: Margaret A. Kessel
Cincinnati, OH 05/02/2008 11:35 PM EST

So sad that one gives up their Catholic faith--which means giving up the sacraments. I wonder, as the years go by, will she come to regret this?

Published by: Richard
San Marcos, TX 05/02/2008 09:53 PM EST

How very sad, hollow and alarming - to trade the one's birthright for the empty pomp of this world - Esau, Judas and now this very foolish young lady... what a shame!

Published by: Margie R
Carmichael, CA 05/02/2008 07:32 PM EST

My Catholic faith is a precious gift and I would not renounce it for any reason whatsoever.

Autumn Kelly has no clue what a bad deal she just made. To know the truth and to renounce it is incredibly foolish. This foolish woman has very poor judgment and I doubt her education was much better.

Published by: Mary T
S. Cal., USA 05/02/2008 05:45 PM EST

How pathetic! She gave up her Catholic faith for an earthly kingdom. Her parents are excited about this? Their Catholic faith can't be very important to them then, especially if they're more concerned about attitudes toward foreigners,and not toward Catholics. That law forbidding royalty from marrying Catholics is antiquated anyway. What a sad lot. Like Esau, she's given up her birthright for a bowl of lentils.

Published by: Nancy Buckley
Louisville, KY, US 05/02/2008 03:17 PM EST

What a sad state of affairs. To turn your back on your faith. She will regret her choice one day, I just hope that it isn't too late.

Published by: vin
Ilion, ny 05/02/2008 02:39 PM EST

How sad that her Catholic faith was so shallow. Doesn't she know the Church of England was started because Henry 8th wanted to divorce and remarry? Sad, sad.

Published by: Cynthia H
Illinois 05/02/2008 01:41 PM EST

Why isn't the press up in arms about this forced conversion? Oh, probably because Miss Kelly isn't Islamic. Why aren't they chiding the British government about holding onto an outdated prejudice against Catholics? I mean, after all, if Miss Kelly were Islamic she wouldn't be forced to convert; it's strictly because she's Catholic. And Peter Phillips, eleventh from the throne (with Elizabeth in robust good health), is worried why? He hasn't got a real chance (the last British royal that was anywhere near that far from the throne but made it was Victoria, and that was a remarkable set of circumstances). I'm betting Miss Kelly is an ethnic Catholic; if she had a living faith she wouldn't have converted even if she were marrying Prince William.

Published by: rosiegirl
houstontexas 05/02/2008 10:23 AM EST

Rate: Excellent

attitudes must not have changed that much if Catholics have to change religions. What a shame and a disgrace that Britain still abides by this law.

Published by: Anne
Stamford, CT 05/02/2008 09:51 AM EST

Rate: Excellent

She said that she did not think that there would be a problem with her daughter being a “foreigner”.
“I think attitudes to things like that have changed,” she said.

Too bad this is not true with regards to religious discrimination too! And how sad that her parents don't mind her "conversion". What did our Lord say about gaining the world but losing your soul in the process???

Published by: Paul
Dearborn, MI 05/02/2008 09:21 AM EST

"I think attitudes to things like [Kelly being a foreigner] have changed."

Oh yeah? Is that why members of the Royal family are barred from marrying Catholics?

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