the passage of the Royal Titles Act 1974, the monarch's title in New Zealand is presently King Charles the Third, By the Grace of God King of New Zealand and of His Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. Although the King's New Zealand title includes the phrase 'Defender of the Faith', neither the King nor the governor-general has any religious role in New Zealand; there has never been an established church in the country. This is one of the key differences from the King's role in England, where he is Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Succession and regency Succession is, for persons born before 28 October 2011, governed by male-preference cognatic primogeniture and, for those born after 28 October 2011, by absolute primogeniture—wherein succession passes to an individual's children according to birth order, regardless of gender. The succession is governed by the Act of Settlement 1701, Bill of Rights 1689, and Royal Succession Act 2013, legislation that also limits the succession to the biological, legitimate descendants of Sophia of Hanover, and stipulates that the monarch cannot be a Roman Catholic and must be in communion with (i.e. a member of) the Church of England upon ascending the throne. Though, via adopting the Statute of Westminster (later repealed in New Zealand) and the Imperial Laws Application Act 1988, these constitutional documents as they apply to New Zealand now lie within the full control of the New Zealand Parliament, New Zealand also agreed not to change its rules of succession without the unanimous consent of the other realms, unless explicitly leaving the shared monarchy relationship; a situation that applies symmetrically in all the other realms, including the United Kingdom, and has been likened to a treaty amongst these countries. Thus, New Zealand's line of succession remains identical to that of the United Kingdom. As such, the rules for succession are not fixed, but may be changed by a constitutional amendment. The Constitution Act 1986 specifies that should a regent be installed in the United Kingdom, that individual will carry out the functions of the monarch of New Zealand. Upon a demise of the Crown (the death or abdication of a monarch), the late sovereign's heir immediately and automatically succeeds, without any need for confirmation or further ceremony—hence arises the phrase "The King is dead. Long live the King!" It is customary, though, for the