King Charles has recorded a message for the Maundy Thursday service, commending people who provide assistance to others, particularly in critical times. The address was taped at Worcester Cathedral and will be played during the ceremony. Queen Camilla, on behalf of the ailing King, will dispense the customary “Maundy money,” a symbolic offering given to 75 individuals representing the King’s age.
Although not expressly mentioning his disease – or Princess Diana’s cancer diagnosis – the King will talk about the importance of those who take care of people, according to the pre-recorded announcement. His message will stress that “we should serve and care for each other” and will echo his Coronation declaration that he will “not be served but to serve.”
The Maundy rite, during which the monarch dispenses presents, is one of the oldest ceremonies in the monarchy’s history, dating back at least to the reign of King John in the thirteenth century. Until the seventeenth century, when James II abolished the practice, the King also washed the feet of the poor, reminiscent of Jesus washing the apostles’ feet before the Last Supper.
Maundy money is now given in leather wallets to elderly people who have helped the church and the surrounding community. This year’s recipients will receive £5 coins with a Tudor dragon image, a 50p coin commemorating The Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s 200th anniversary, and specially struck silver Maundy coins.
This will be another event in which Queen Camilla speaks as a substitute for the King, who is receiving cancer treatment. While he has avoided significant public gatherings with large crowds, the King will attend Sunday’s Easter church service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor. He held a meeting on Wednesday with Climate Vulnerable Forum secretary-general Mohamed Nasheed, but he has not attended any big public events
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