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King Charles and Queen Camilla did things a little differently for Maundy Thursday this year. The royal couple traveled to St. Asaph Cathedral in North Wales for the traditional services, which are always held on the Thursday before Easter. The trip marked the first time in the service’s 800-year history that it had been held in North Wales, and only the second time ever in Wales. The last time was in 1982, when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent Maundy Thursday at St. David’s in Pembrokeshire, which is also the smallest city in Great Britain.
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Queen Camilla also appeared to be carrying a black Dior tote.
For the special occasion, Queen Camilla wore what appeared to be a new sapphire and diamond brooch in the shape of a crown, and media reports speculate it could be a gift from King Charles in honor of their 21st wedding anniversary this month. The Queen pinned the brooch to a navy pleated dress and matching embroidered coat by Christian Dior, and topped off the ensemble with a Philip Treacy hat.
Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, is the fifth day of Holy Week and one of the most important events leading up to Easter Sunday. During the service, as per tradition, King Charles distributed Maundy Money to members of the local community. The number of recipients corresponds to the monarch’s age. At age 77, the King presented gifts to 77 men and 77 women in recognition of their community service and contributions. Each recipient receives two purses: one red and one white. The white purse always contains a set of specially minted silver Maundy coins. The red purse traditionally contains two commemorative coins; this year’s coins commemorate 100 years since Queen Elizabeth’s birth, and another celebrating the 50th anniversary of Charles’s foundation, The King’s Trust.
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A member of the Yeomen of the Guard carrying the Maundy purses.
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The King and Queen with this year’s Maundy purse recipients.
The King and Queen are expected to attend Easter Sunday services at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, where they will be joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of the royal family. As previously reported, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are not expected to attend. The news comes following the recent arrest of their father and the former Duke of York, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was released the same day after several hours of questioning, and he has always denied any wrongdoing.
Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at @rk.passport.