King Charles and Queen Camilla attended the Royal Maundy Service at St Asaph Cathedral on Thursday, marking the first time the event has been held in North Wales and only the second time in Wales in its 800-year history. The service featured specially commissioned music by Welsh composers and the use of the processional Cross of Wales, a gift from the King to the Christians of Wales.
The King presented Royal Maundy gifts to 77 men and 77 women, chosen for their outstanding Christian service. Recipients received two leather purses: a white one containing silver Maundy coins totalling 77 pennies, matching the King's age, and a red one with a £5 coin commemorating the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's birth and a 50p coin celebrating 50 years of The King's Trust.
Jean Carthy, 81, from Towyn, said she initially thought her nomination letter was a scam. 'Even this morning I was wondering why I was there. It was just so, so special,' she told the Press Association. Colin Pengelly, 77, from Castle Caereinion, described the experience as 'amazing, humbling'.
Crowds gathered outside the cathedral, with supporters waving Union and Welsh flags. However, a group of protesters from the anti-monarchy group Republic displayed banners calling for a 'Royal Epstein inquiry'. Hours before the King's arrival, graffiti reading 'Not our King' was cleaned from a wall in the cathedral grounds.
The Royal Maundy service, first recorded in 1210 under King John, commemorates the Last Supper and the tradition of distributing alms. The last time it was held in Wales was in 1982.
