Queen Camillais making history inKing Charles' stead with an ancient royal tradition.
While King Charles isexpected to join the royal family at their Easter church outingon Sunday amid hiscancer treatment, the Queen did the honors of distributing the Royal Maundy gifts on behalf of her husband at the annual Royal Maundy Service at Worcester Cathedral on Thursday.
It was previously announced that Queen Camilla, 76, would step in for King Charles, 75, at the event before Easter, as the monarch has postponed public-facing duties while receivingcancer treatment. The Queen was reportedly poised to makeroyal historyas the first consort to lead the ancient tradition, which the royal familytraces backto 600 A.D.
Queen Camilla attends the Royal Maundy Service at Worcester Cathedral on March 28, 2024.Samir Hussein/WireImage
Samir Hussein/WireImage
In a touching nod toQueen Elizabeth, Camilla adorned her Fiona Clare coat collar with gold and sapphire flower brooches that belonged to the late monarch. The Royal Maundy Service seemed to be a highlight on Queen Elizabeth’s annual calendar, and King Charles’ mother attended the event almost every year of her record 70-year reign.
Continuing tradition, Queen Camilla distributed 75 men and 75 women with coin purses containing Maundy money. The number of recipients signified the age of the King, and each person received one white pouch and one red pouch. The white purse featured custom silver Maundy coins while the red purse contained a £5 coin emblazoned with a Tudor Dragon and a 50 pence coin commemorating the Royal National Lifeboat Institution during its 200th anniversary this year.
The symbolic gift is delivered to thank recipients for their contributions to their churches and communities, and beneficiaries are selected from Church of England dioceses as well as Anglican and Ecumenical partners around the U.K.
The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word for “commandment,” and the monarch traditionally leads the Maundy Service each year on the Thursday before Easter. The royal family’swebsitesays the ceremonial coins have remained mostly the same for hundreds of years, and that the royal tradition of presenting Maundy money to pensioners (retirees) is a parallel to Jesus washing the Apostles’ feet at the Last Supper.
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JUSTIN TALLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Although King Charles wasn’t able to attend the service, herecorded an audio messagethat was played to the congregation.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is, for me, a great sadness that I cannot be with you all today,” the monarch said in part. “The Maundy Service has a very special place in my heart. It has its origin in the life of Our Lord who knelt before his disciples and, to their great surprise, washed their travel-weary feet. And, as we have just heard, in doing so he deliberately gave to them and to us all an example of how we should serve and care for each other.”
Queen Camilla hands out Maundy Money at the Royal Maundy Service on March 28, 2024.JUSTIN TALLIS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
While the King has continued to work behind the scenes throughout his period of cancer treatment, Queen Camilla has played animportant rolein supporting him privately while continuing with a full schedule of public duties.
“She is his strength and stay like [Prince Philip] was for the late Queen,” a palace insider previouslytold PEOPLE. “She will be great. She will rally him, she will buoy him. She is amazing. She equips him to do the job he has to do.”
Queen Camilla attends the Royal Maundy Service at Worcester Cathedral on March 28, 2024.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
King Charles’ team is also reportedly thinking about asummer schedulefor the monarch amid “amplified confidence” in light of the sophisticated treatment he is receiving, a royal source tells PEOPLE.
“He is positive, the doctors are optimistic,” a source close to the royal household says.
The update came afterKate Middletonannounced on Friday that she is undergoing chemotherapy after beingdiagnosed with cancerfollowingabdominal surgeryin January.
source: people.com
