The King joked that “it was all mirrors” when a well‑wisher praised his appearance as he and the Queen marked Maundy Thursday at Durham Cathedral, honouring Second World War heroes and the Queen Mother.
At the Maundy Service, Charles presented Maundy Money to 76 men and 76 women—one coin for each year of his life—recognising outstanding Christian service in their communities.
Two purses held the gifts: the Red Purse contained a £5 coin commemorating The Queen Mother and a WWII‑themed 50p; the White Purse held 76 pence. Yeomen bore the coins on Crown Jewel plates from the Tower of London.
The 13th‑century ceremony drew a small protest by Republic campaigners chanting “Down with the crown” and “Not my King” outside the cathedral precincts.
Inside, the King and Queen—Camilla in a dark green coat dress by Anna Valentine and hat by Philip Treacy—paused to admire the 800‑year‑old Magna Carta. Charles remarked, “Remarkable, great to see it intact.”
They were greeted on arrival by The Reverend Philip Plyming, Dean of Durham, and Bishop Graham Usher, the Lord High Almoner. Traditional nosegays were presented before the coins were distributed.
Sister Josepha of Sunderland said she was “honoured and humbled” to receive her coins for work with young people and families.
Graham Young of County Durham, recognized for founding Traidcraft and community service, quipped, “Meeting the King has not! I’m honoured to have been nominated and humbly accept.” Anne Johnson of Hartlepool, praised for aiding isolated communities, called it “a huge honour.”
Outside, hundreds cheered as the royal couple went on a walkabout. Pat Johnson of Jarrow brought along her 18‑month‑old corgi Lilibet. “He asked if she was friendly and he asked me what her name was,” she recalled. “I said I named her after your mother and said ‘you look well’ and he said ‘you are very kind but it’s all mirrors.’”
Dozens of anti‑monarchists from Republic remained in a designated area, using a megaphone to broadcast slogans.
This was Charles’s second Maundy Service as King; last year Queen Camilla stood in while he recovered from cancer. The ancient rite—dating to King John in 1210—commemorates Jesus’s Maundy and Last Supper and involves almsgiving and the washing of feet. This year’s recipients were chosen from the Northern Province of England and Scotland.
