- Written by Sean Coughlan
- royal correspondent
image source, BBC/Sky/ITV News
King Charles records message for Maundy Thursday service at Worcester Cathedral
The king recorded a message for Maundy Thursday services praising those who “extend a hand of friendship, especially in times of need.”
The message will be played at a service at Worcester Cathedral.
The King, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, will not attend, and Queen Camilla will hand out the traditional Maundy Money in his place.
The number of recipients matches the age of the monarch, so 75 men and women will receive this symbolic gift.
The King’s message, recorded in mid-March, will include a Bible reading and a national appeal: “We need and greatly benefit from those who extend a hand of friendship, especially in times of need.” “We are accepting it.”
His message will say, “We must serve and care for one another,” and he will repeat his coronation promise: “To serve, not to be served.”
The baptism, in which the king hands out gifts, is one of the oldest royal ceremonies, dating back to at least the 13th century, to the reign of King John, the monarch who is buried in this medieval cathedral.
Until James II in the 17th century, monarchs would wash the feet of the poor, just as Jesus washed the feet of the apostles at the Last Supper.
Baptism money is traditionally distributed by the monarch in leather wallets
At this ceremony, coin purses will be presented to 75 elderly men and 75 women who have been involved in supporting the church and local community.
This year’s winners will receive a £5 coin featuring a Tudor dragon, a 50 pence commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Society and a specially minted silver Maundy coin.
The king’s message will praise those who received the baptism money as “fantastic examples of such kindness”.
This is another engagement attended by Queen Camilla on behalf of the King as he continues his cancer treatment, which began last month.
The king continues to hold talks, including an audience with Mohamed Nasheed, executive director of the Forum for the Vulnerable on Climate Change, on Wednesday.
Although he has not attended any large public events that draw large crowds, he is scheduled to attend the Easter Church service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor on Sunday morning.
This year’s Easter will be a smaller event as Kate, Duchess of Wales continues to recover, and the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children will not be in attendance.
The King sent a video message to the Commonwealth’s annual service earlier this month, but Worcester Cathedral does not have video equipment so an audio message is expected to be played instead.
Anti-monarchy group Republic issued a statement ahead of the service, calling the monarchy “bad for British democracy” and saying the Queen’s visit to Worcester “shows how out of step the monarchy is with the values of the majority of us.” He said that it would show whether the government is doing well. .
