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King Charles and Queen Camilla smiled and waved as they arrived at St Asaph’s Cathedral in North Wales for the traditional Maundy Thursday service today. This marks the first time the event has been held in Wales in over 40 years, with the last ceremony taking place at St David’s Cathedral in 1982.
The King chose to attend the ceremony in Wales today, joining Queen Elizabeth II. He continues a tradition that Elizabeth began early in her reign.
The late monarch decreed that a different cathedral or abbey would be chosen each year so that the Maundy money would not be distributed only to the people of London.
The ceremony was held last year at Durham Cathedral, and the year before at Worcester Cathedral, where Queen Camilla attended alone in place of the King following his cancer diagnosis.
When Their Majesties arrived at the West Gate today, they were both presented with a number of nose ornaments.
During the hour-long ceremony, the King will distribute 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 local communities.
In addition, the King grants each individual Queen Elizabeth II. He will give away a red bag containing a £5 coin to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Elizabeth’s birth and a 50p coin to mark the 50th anniversary of The King’s Trust.
This year’s service will feature specially commissioned music by Welsh composers and musicians to celebrate the return of the Royal Maundy to Wales. Following the ceremony, the King and Queen will join the Royal Maundy Party for the traditional photo shoot in front of the West Gate before meeting members of the cathedral community.
For Christians, the observance of Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as an act of humility.
The Royal Maundy can be traced back to the 13th century in England; The first recorded Royal Distribution was at Knaresborough in North Yorkshire in 1210 by King John. From the 15th century, the number of recipients was associated with the years of life of the Monarch.
