Buckingham Palace has released a delightful statement alongside King Charles and Queen Camilla’s latest pictures and videos as the royal family begins Easter celebrations.
The 76-year-old monarch and his wife Camilla, 77, continued a royal Easter tradition by visiting Grand Cathedral in Durham for the annual distribution of Maundy money.
The monarch’s office released videos and pictures of the King and the Queen with a heartwarming statement on the royal family’s official Instagram account.
The statement reads: “This year taking place at @DurhamCathedral, The King and Queen have attended the annual Maundy Service, during which His Majesty presented Maundy recipients – 76 men and 76 women – with two purses: one red and one white, containing Maundy Money.”
It added: “The Royal Maundy gifts are given in recognition of outstanding Christian service and for making a difference to the lives of people in their local communities.”
The Palace shared the details about the royal tradition, writing: “The white purse contains a set of specially minted silver Maundy coins, while this year the Red Purse contains a £5 coin commemorating The Queen Mother, and a 50p coin which features stories of WWII.”
It continued: “Maundy Thursday is the Christian holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter. It commemorates the Maundy and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.
“Royal Maundy can be traced back in England to the 13th century, with the first recorded Royal Distribution at Knaresborough by King John in 1210. From the 15th Century, the number of recipients has been related to the years of the Sovereign’s life.”
It is to mention here that the Royal Maundy Service is now held in a different church each year, and the 2025 event took place at Durham Cathedral in the northeast of England.
Earlier in the day, Charles gave his annual Easter message, stressing the importance of love and the unity of all people irrespective of faith.
The King stressed that the work that humanitarians do around the world knows no boundaries, irrespective of religion, background, or faith.