The Queen’s church looks set to split, and apparently the 83-year-old British monarch has picked her side – sending letters of support to a conservative, homophobic fellowship.

The Church of England is currently facing a possible split over a difference of interpretation. While conservative leaders within the church say they just want to stick to The Bible, others are looking for a more liberal take on the role of homosexuals and women within the church.

The current debate has been raging for a number of years, and recently British newspaper the Daily Telegraph reported that the Queen had weighed in on the debate, sending letters of ‘support’ to the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans over the row.

In the letters, the Queen reportedly writes that she, “understands the commitment to the Anglican Church” the FCA have shown and wishes them well for a “successful and memorable event.” The event referred to is thought to be a conference of conservative church leaders held in London this week.

With a keynote speech from Sydney’s own Archbishop Peter Jensen [pictured right] on Tuesday, the conference looks to be off to an interesting start.

“In this country, the Christian foundations have been shaken. In this and the next generation there will be fought what may amount to the last battle for the soul of the nation… It will be an ideological war, a war of ideas. But great issues will hang upon the outcome: the fate of a culture and the eternal fate of souls.

“The conflict is over the authority of Jesus Christ. The fact that sexual ethics is where the contest is sharpest should not divert us from this basic truth,” said Jensen. The Sydney Archbishop is said by The Times to be the ‘driving force’ behind the current conservative movement.

Although the Queen is the Supreme Governor of the church, prominent UK Gay rights activist, Peter Tatchell, says the Queen’s decision to enter a political and religious debate is against royal protocol and offensive to the gay and lesbian community.

“Her letter of support for the breakaway anti-gay faction of the Church of England is collusion with prejudice. She has insulted lesbian and gay people and breached royal protocol by embroiling herself in an issue of religious and political controversy. It is very alarming to see the Queen endorse a homophobic grouping within the Church of England. She is taking sides, against gay equality,” Tatchell told the Daily Telegraph.

“Her Majesty is aligning herself with a Christian fundamentalist grouping that is founded almost entirely on its opposition to gay priests and gay human rights. Homophobic prejudice and discrimination is central to its religious ethos.

“Many leading members of FCA believe the civil and criminal law should discriminate against gay people. They do not believe that we are entitled to equal rights.”

Pinknews.co.uk says that the Queen has not responded to inquiries regarding the letters, but royal representatives say the monarch writes to many organisations.