Editing Oath of office (section)

==United Kingdom==

===Oaths taken by the monarch===
In the United Kingdom, no formal oath is essential to be taken by the monarch in relation to accession. The monarch is, however, required to take an oath regarding the security of the [[Church of Scotland]]. At a coronation, the monarch usually takes an oath but as a coronation is inessential, Monarchs need not take a similar oath in order to discharge their duties, as with the case of [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Edward VIII]], who was never crowned during his one-year reign. The exact wording of the coronation oath of various monarchs has altered throughout the years without statutory authority but remain based on the oath as prescribed by the [[Coronation Oath Act 1688]].

====Coronation Oath====
The following was the oath taken by [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] at [[Coronation of Elizabeth II|her coronation]] on 2 June 1953:<ref name="Oath 1953"/>

{{blockquote|Archbishop: Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon, and of your Possessions and the other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?

Queen: I solemnly promise so to do.

Archbishop: Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgments?

Queen: I will.

Archbishop: Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?

Queen: All this I promise to do.

Then the Queen arising out of her Chair, supported as before, the Sword of State being carried before her, shall go to the Altar, and make her solemn Oath in the sight of all the people to observe the premisses: laying her right hand upon the Holy Gospel in the great Bible (which was before carried in the procession and is now brought from the Altar by the Archbishop, and tendered to her as she kneels upon the steps), and saying these words:

The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and keep. So help me God.<ref name="Oath 1953">{{cite web|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/ImagesandBroadcasts/Historic%20speeches%20and%20broadcasts/CoronationOath2June1953.aspx |title=Coronation Oath, 2 June 1953 |access-date=May 22, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510085810/http://www.royal.gov.uk/ImagesandBroadcasts/Historic%20speeches%20and%20broadcasts/CoronationOath2June1953.aspx |archive-date=May 10, 2013 }}</ref>}}

The following was the oath taken by [[Charles III|King Charles III]] at [[Coronation of Charles III and Camilla|his coronation]] on 6 May 2023:<ref name="The Oaths 2023"/>

{{blockquote|Archbishop: Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, your other Realms and the Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?

King: I solemnly promise so to do.

Archbishop: Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgements?

King: I will.

Archbishop: Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?

King: All this I promise to do.

''The King places his hand on the Bible.''

King: The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and keep. So help me God.<ref name="The Oaths 2023">"The Oaths", in ''Westminster Abbey: The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Saturday, 6th May, 2023 at 11.00 a.m.'' (London: Barnard & Westwood for Dean and Chapter of Westminster, May 2023), pp. 23–25</ref>}}

====Declaration Oath====
This was the oath of declaration of [[Charles III]] during the coronation on 6 May 2023:<ref name="The Oaths 2023"/>

{{blockquote|Archbishop: Your Majesty, are you willing to make, subscribe, and declare to the statutory Accession Declaration Oath?

King: I am willing. I Charles do solemnly and sincerely in the presence of God profess, testify, and declare that I am a faithful Protestant, and that I will, according to the true intent of the enactments which secure the Protestant succession to the Throne, uphold and maintain the said enactments to the best of my powers according to law.

''The King signs copies of the Oaths, presented by the Lord Chamberlain.''<ref name="The Oaths 2023"/>}}

====Oath relating to the security of the Church of Scotland====
The following oath was made by King [[Charles III]] at his [[Accession Council]] on 10 September 2022, in accordance with the [[Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Act 1707]]:

{{blockquote|I, Charles the Third, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of My other Realms and Territories, King, Defender of the Faith, do faithfully promise and swear that I shall inviolably maintain and preserve the Settlement of the true Protestant Religion as established by the Laws made in Scotland in prosecution of the Claim of Right and particularly by an Act intituled “An Act for securing the Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Government” and by the Acts passed in the Parliament of both Kingdoms for Union of the two Kingdoms, together with the Government, Worship, Discipline, Rights and Privileges of the Church of Scotland. So help me God.}}

===Oath of Allegiance and Official Oath===
{{main|Oath of Allegiance (United Kingdom)}}

A general Oath of Allegiance and Official Oath, are set out in the [[Promissory Oaths Act 1868]] are required to be taken by various office-holders.

Members of the House of Commons or of the House of Lords are required to take the oath of allegiance in the House at the beginning of a new Parliament, as well as after a [[Demise of the Crown]].

Section 84 of the [[Scotland Act 1998]] requires [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|members of the Scottish Parliament]] to take the Oath of Allegiance at a meeting of the [[Scottish Parliament|Parliament]]. Members of the Scottish Government and junior Scottish Ministers are additionally required to take the Official Oath.

Section 20 of the [[Government of Wales Act 1998]] requires [[Member of the National Assembly for Wales|members of the National Assembly for Wales]] to take the oath of allegiance. A [[Welsh language|Welsh]] form of the Oath is prescribed by the National Assembly for Wales (Oath of Allegiance in Welsh) Order 1999.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/19991101.htm |title=The National Assembly for Wales (Oath of Allegiance in Welsh) Order 1999 |publisher=Opsi.gov.uk |date=2010-07-16 |access-date=2010-09-22}}</ref>

====Oath of Allegiance====
The Oath of Allegiance is in the following form:
{{blockquote|I, (name), do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to [[Style of the British sovereign|His Majesty]] [[Charles III|King Charles]], his heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.}}

====Official Oath====
The Official Oath is in the following form:
{{blockquote|I, (name), do swear that I will well and truly serve His Majesty King Charles in the office of (office). So help me God.}}

===Judicial Oath===
The standard form of the judicial oath is set out in the [[Promissory Oaths Act 1868]]:

{{blockquote|I, (name), do swear by Almighty God that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord King Charles the Third in the office of (office), and I will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this realm (or colony), without fear or favour, affection or ill will.<ref name=autogenerated2>{{Cite web|url=http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/about-the-judiciary/our-justice-system/oaths |title=oaths |access-date=2012-04-07 |publisher=Judicial Office}}</ref> }}

Those choosing affirm simply replace "do swear by Almighty God" with "solemnly sincerely and truly declare and affirm"

In '''Northern Ireland''' all references to the Sovereign were removed by the [[Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002]].<ref>{{Cite legislation UK|type=act|year=2002|chapter=26|act=Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2002|section=19}}</ref>

Section 19(2) provides that the oath is—
{{blockquote|I, (name), do swear that I will well and faithfully serve in the office of (office), etc.}}

Section 19(3) provides that the affirmation and declaration is—
{{blockquote|I, (name), do solemnly and sincerely and truly affirm and declare that I will well and faithfully serve in the office of (office), etc.}}

===Armed forces===
All persons enlisting in the [[British Armed Forces]] are required to attest to the following oath or equivalent affirmation:

{{blockquote|I... swear by Almighty God ''(do solemnly, and truly declare and affirm)'' that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III, His Heirs and Successors, and that I will, as in duty bound, honestly and faithfully defend His Majesty, His Heirs and Successors, in Person, Crown and Dignity against all enemies, and will observe and obey all orders of His Majesty, His Heirs and Successors, and of the generals ''(admirals / air officers)'' and officers set over me.}}

===Privy Counsellors===
[[Privy Council of the United Kingdom|Privy Counsellors]] take office on being "sworn of the Privy Council". It was formerly regarded as criminal to disclose the form of Privy Council oath, which includes an undertaking of secrecy as to the proceedings in Council (where the Oath is taken). On 20 July 1998 it was published by the President of the Council in answer to a written parliamentary question:<ref>{{cite web |title=Privy Counsellors |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo980728/text/80728w22.htm#80728w22.html_sbhd8 |website=Hansard |publisher=House of Commons, Parliament of the United Kingdom |access-date=18 September 2021}}</ref>

<blockquote>You do swear by Almighty God to be a true and faithful Servant unto the Queen's Majesty, as one of Her Majesty's Privy Council. You will not know or understand of any manner of thing to be attempted, done, or spoken against Her Majesty's Person, Honour, Crown, or Dignity Royal, but you will lett and withstand the same to the uttermost of your Power, and either cause it to be revealed to Her Majesty Herself, or to such of Her Privy Council as shall advertise Her Majesty of the same. You will, in all things to be moved, treated, and debated in Council, faithfully and truly declare your Mind and Opinion, according to your Heart and Conscience; and will keep secret all Matters committed and revealed unto you, or that shall be treated of secretly in Council. And if any of the said Treaties or Counsels shall touch any of the Counsellors, you will not reveal it unto him, but will keep the same until such time as, by the Consent of Her Majesty, or of the Council, Publication shall be made thereof. You will to your uttermost bear Faith and Allegiance unto the Queen's Majesty; and will assist and defend all Jurisdictions, Pre-eminences, and Authorities, granted to Her Majesty, and annexed to the Crown by Acts of Parliament, or otherwise, against all Foreign Princes, Persons, Prelates, States, or Potentates. And generally in all things you will do as a faithful and true Servant ought to do to Her Majesty. So help you God.</blockquote>

===Constables declaration===
A person appointed to the office of constable of a police force in Scotland is required to make the following declaration:

<blockquote>I hereby do solemnly and sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of constable.<ref>[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo971029/text/71029w06.htm "Written Answer"], ''[[Hansard]]''</ref></blockquote>