King Charles won't be known as 'defender of the faith' — does it matter?

King Charles will have a new title in Canada now that the federal government has dropped a centuries-old accolade — "defender of the faith" — as part of a push to redefine the head of state's role.

The coronation on Saturday is a religious affair. The archbishop of Canterbury, the Church of England's de facto leader, will preside over the event, which will include anointing Charles with holy oil consecrated by Anglican and Orthodox clerics in Jerusalem.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be on hand for the church service — it's essentially an Anglican Eucharist, except with more royal pomp and pageantry — but his government has signalled it's not interested in continuing the monarch's religious role in Canada.

CBC's coverage of the coronation of King Charles will be available across all platforms on May 6 starting at 4 a.m. ET on CBC TV, CBC News Network, CBC Radio and streaming on CBC Gem, CBC News Explore, and CBC Listen.

The "defender of the faith" title dates back to the Tudor period in the 16th century and refers to the monarch's unique position as the "supreme governor" of the Church of England — the state religion established after King Henry VIII pulled English churches from papal control.

It recognizes the duality of the King's role: he's both the sovereign and a religious figure. He's at the centre of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy and he also has some divine duties.

WATCH: King Charles won't be known as 'defender of the faith.' Does it matter?

Buried deep in the Trudeau government's recent budget bill, however, is a measure that will break Canada away from that tradition.

For the first time since Confederation, the royal title of the Canadian monarch will not include the "defender" role or an explicit reference to Charles's Christian faith.

The mention of "God" remains, as it does in the first line of the Charter of Right and Freedoms.

The monarch will be known officially in this country as "Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Canada and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth."

"They want to drop the title because there is this desire to modernize," said Justin Vovk, a historian of the Royal Family at McMaster University.

"There is very much a push — a sense of urgency — to show Canadians why the monarch is modern, to show Canadians it has a place in the 21st century."

Vovk said the overt religiosity of the "defender" title is something that's open to "critique, criticism and questioning" in an increasingly secular Canada.