Historic Royal Maundy service takes place at St Asaph Cathedral

Hundreds of people gathered at St Asaph Cathedral today for the annual Royal Maundy service, as it came to Wales for only the second time in its 800-year history.

During this service, attended by the King and Queen, Royal Maundy gifts were presented to around 77 men and 77 women. These people - mainly from Wales, but also from dioceses across the UK – were nominated for their years of outstanding Christian service to their churches and communities. The service was an opportunity to honour these guests, and also marked the first meeting between His Majesty The King and The Most Reverend Cherry Vann, Archbishop of Wales.

During the service, between stunning music from Welsh composers and musicians, recipients received Maundy Money from the King - a symbolic gift given in recognition of their years of dedication to their communities. His Majesty presented recipients with two purses containing the unique Maundy Money. In the white purse was a set of specially minted silver Maundy coins totalling 77 pennies, to match The King’s age, and in the Red Purse was a £5 coin commemorating 100 years since Queen Elizabeth II’s birth, and a 50p coin that celebrates the 50th anniversary of The King’s Trust.

In addition, the service saw the use of the processional Cross of Wales, a gift from His Majesty The King to the Christians of Wales. The Cross, which headed the Procession at Westminster Abbey for his Coronation in 2023, contains a fragment of the True Cross, a gift to The King from His Holiness Pope Francis and believed to be part of the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

At the conclusion of the service, Their Majesties joined the Royal Maundy Party for a photograph outside the Cathedral’s West Door before meeting members of the cathedral community.

The Dean of St Asaph Cathedral, the Very Revd Nigel Williams, said: "It has been a delight to host the King and Queen at St Asaph Cathedral today for the annual Royal Maundy service. We hope that the recipients of these honours will cherish this day for years to come."

The Most Reverend Cherry Vann, Archbishop of Wales said: "My immense gratitude to Their Majesties for attending this wonderful service today - we hope that everyone's enjoyed this celebration of Welsh culture, music, and people."

Many thanks to all those who were involved in organising and running this wonderful service.

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. The distribution of alms and the washing of the feet on the Thursday of Holy Week are an ancient tradition.

The Royal Maundy can be traced back in England to the 13th century, with the first recorded Royal Distribution at Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, by King John in 1210. From the 15th century, the number of recipients has been related to the years of the Sovereign’s life.

The Royal Maundy Recipients are normally selected from Church of England dioceses, and Anglican and Ecumenical partners across the UK. This year, the recipients have been chosen from the six dioceses in Wales (Swansea & Brecon, St. Asaph, Bangor, St. Davids, Llandaff and Monmouth) alongside four English dioceses that are close to, or border with, Wales (Chester, Hereford, Lichfield, Sodor & Man).

Each year the Monarch is assisted in distributing the Maundy Money by the Lord High Almoner, currently the Bishop of Norwich.

More information about Royal Maundy is available at www.royal.uk/royal-maundy-service.

Llanelwy - the Welsh name for St Asaph - means the sacred religious enclosure on the banks of the River Elwy. Worship is at the heart of the life and work of this ancient cathedral where prayers have been offered daily for 1,450 years.

St Asaph Cathedral is the UK’s smallest ancient Cathedral. The current building dates from the fourteenth century and is closely associated with the preservation of the Welsh language. It displays an original copy of the William Morgan Bible, which dates from 1588. William Morgan went on to become Bishop of St Asaph in 1601.

St Asaph Cathedral is one of the main heritage attractions along the A55 corridor in north Wales, and receives thousands of visitors each year both for regular services, as well as events, conferences, concerts and festivals.

St Asaph Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of St Asaph, one of the six Bishops of the Church in Wales, an autonomous Province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.