- Written by Sean Coughlan
- royal correspondent
King Charles reveals 'great sadness' over not attending christening
King Charles has spoken of his “great sadness” at missing the traditional Maundy Thursday service.
The King has not attended any public events as he is undergoing treatment for cancer, but he recorded a message that was played during a service at Worcester Cathedral.
Instead, Queen Camilla attends the service and hands out Maundy's money.
In his message, the King reaffirmed “with all his heart” his coronation vow to “serve, not be served.”
He praised those who “extend a hand of friendship, especially in times of need.”
He added, “It is with great sadness that I cannot be with you today.''
The number of Maundy Money 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, included a Bible reading and a national appeal: “We need and benefit greatly from those who extend a hand of friendship, especially in times of need.'' “We are receiving the following.”
He said the 150 people receiving Maundy Money today “are wonderful examples of such kindness, going above and beyond the call of duty and dedicating much of their lives to serving those in their communities.” Stated.
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.
The Queen has performed a number of events on behalf of the King while he was undergoing treatment for cancer.
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.
Maundy coins in a red leather wallet were distributed by the Queen
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. .
As the Queen arrived at Worcester Cathedral, cries of protest could be heard from a distance.
