- By Sean Coughlan
- Royal correspondent
Picture supply, BBC/Sky/ITV Information
King Charles recorded a message for the Maundy Thursday service in Worcester Cathedral
The King has recorded a message for the Maundy Thursday service praising those that “lengthen the hand of friendship, particularly in a time of want”.
The message can be performed on the service at Worcester Cathedral.
The King, who’s being handled for most cancers, is not going to be attending and Queen Camilla will hand out the standard “Maundy cash” on his behalf.
The variety of recipients matches the age of the monarch – so 75 women and men will obtain this symbolic reward.
The King’s message, recorded in mid-March, will embody a Bible studying and a name that as a nation: “We want and profit enormously from those that lengthen the hand of friendship to us, particularly in a time of want.”
His message will say “we must always serve and take care of one another” and can repeat his Coronation promise “to not be served however to serve”.
The Maundy service, wherein the monarch provides out presents, is without doubt one of the oldest royal ceremonies, relationship again at the very least so far as the thirteenth Century and the reign of King John, a monarch who’s buried on this medieval cathedral.
Till James II within the seventeenth Century, the monarch additionally used to scrub the toes of the poor, in an echo of Jesus washing the toes of the apostles on the Final Supper.
Maundy cash is historically handed out in leather-based purses by the monarch
Now the ceremony entails giving purses of cash to older folks, 75 males and 75 ladies, who’ve been concerned in serving to the church and the local people.
This 12 months’s recipients will obtain £5 cash with the picture of a Tudor dragon, a 50p marking the The Royal Nationwide Lifeboat Establishment’s 2 hundredth anniversary and specifically minted silver Maundy cash.
The King’s message will reward these getting the Maundy cash as “fantastic examples of such kindness”.
That is one other engagement wherein Queen Camilla has appeared on behalf of the King, whereas he continues with the most cancers remedy that started final month.
The King has continued to hold out conferences, together with on Wednesday, when he held an viewers with Mohamed Nasheed, secretary-general of the Local weather Weak Discussion board
He has not attended large public occasions with massive crowds, however he can be on the Easter church service on Sunday morning at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
Will probably be a smaller occasion this Easter, with the Prince and Princess of Wales and their youngsters not attending, as Catherine continues her restoration.
The King had despatched a video message to the annual Commonwealth service earlier this month, however it’s understood that Worcester Cathedral didn’t have the video amenities, so an audio message can be performed as an alternative.
The anti-monarchy group Republic issued a press release forward of the service saying the monarchy is “unhealthy for Britain’s democracy” and the Queen’s go to to Worcester can be an indication of “how out of contact the monarchy is with the values of most of us”.
