King’s Recorded Message Praising Friendship to be Played at Maundy Thursday Service
A recorded message from the King, praising those who extend the hand of friendship, especially in times of need, will be played at the Maundy Thursday service at Worcester Cathedral.
Due to ongoing cancer treatment, the King will not attend the service, and Queen Camilla will distribute the traditional “Maundy money” on his behalf. The number of recipients will match the monarch’s age, with 75 men and women receiving this symbolic gift.
Recorded in mid-March, the King’s message will include a Bible reading and emphasize the importance of caring for others, stating that “we should serve and care for each other,” echoing his Coronation promise “not to be served but to serve.”
The Maundy service, dating back to at least the 13th Century, involves giving purses of coins to older individuals who have contributed to the church and local community. Recipients this year will receive £5 coins featuring a Tudor dragon, a 50p coin commemorating The Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s 200th anniversary, and specially minted silver Maundy coins.
The King’s message will commend those receiving Maundy money as “wonderful examples of such kindness.”
This event marks another occasion where Queen Camilla represents the King as he continues cancer treatment. Although he will not attend large public events, he is expected to be present at the Easter church service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor on Sunday morning.
Notably, the King’s video message to the annual Commonwealth service earlier this month was not available for the Worcester Cathedral service, hence an audio message will be played instead.
Ahead of the service, the anti-monarchy group Republic criticized the monarchy’s presence, labeling it as detrimental to British democracy and highlighting a disconnect with societal values.