King Charles and Queen Camilla smiled and waved as they arrived at St Asaph Cathedral in North Wales today for the traditional Maundy Thursday service. This marks the first time the event has been held in Wales for over 40 years, with the last service taking place at St David’s Cathedral in 1982.
By choosing to attend the service in Wales today, the King is carrying on a tradition that Queen Elizabeth II began early in her reign.
The late monarch decided that a different cathedral or abbey would be chosen each year so that Maundy money would not just be distributed to the people of London.
The service was held at Durham Cathedral last year and at Worcester Cathedral the year before, when Queen Camilla attended alone in the King’s place following his cancer diagnosis.
As Their Majesties arrived at the West Door today, they were both presented with bunches of nosegays.
During the hour-long ceremony, the King will hand out Maundy Money to 77 men and 77 women – one for each year of his life – to thank them for their outstanding Christian service and making a difference to the lives of their local communities.
As well as this, the King will hand each individual a red purse containing a £5 coin commemorating 100 years since Queen Elizabeth II’s birth and a 50p coin celebrating the 50th anniversary of The King’s Trust.
The service this year will feature specially commissioned music by Welsh composers and musicians, celebrating the return of the Royal Maundy to Wales. Following the service, the King and Queen will join the Royal Maundy Party for the traditional photograph outside the West Door before meeting members of the cathedral community.
For Christians, Maundy Thursday service commemorates Jesus’s Last Supper when he washed his disciples’ feet as an act of humility.
The Royal Maundy can be traced back in England to the 13th century, with the first recorded Royal Distribution at Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, by King John in 1210. From the 15th century, the number of recipients has been related to the years of the Sovereign’s life.