King Charles and Queen Camilla face protests as they attend Maundy Thursday service
The king and queen did not seem bothered by the disruptionAs King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at the Maundy Thursday service today, they were met with protestors.
Ahead of the Maundy Thursday service on April 17, anti-monarchy group Republic hit out on its social media accounts and accused Durham University of “obstructing” their protest after the decision to block roads to Durham Cathedral.
But later, the decision to stop crowds from gathering outside the Cathedral was reversed, and the protest went ahead – as Charles, 76, and Camilla, 77, arrived.
King Charles and Queen Camilla face protestors at Maundy Thursday service
Members of the royal family often face protests when they go anywhere, but they may not have been expecting on during their Easter tradition service.
This year marks King Charles’ return to Maundy Thursday, after missing last year’s service due to his cancer treatment. And earlier today he shared an emotional Easter message ahead of the service.
According to Express, a spokesperson for Durham University issued a statement on the protests.
They said: “Durham University is committed to upholding freedom of speech within the law and the right to lawful protest. Having been approached by protesters on the morning of today’s event, we worked with them and the police to ensure they could proceed with their protest at a mutually agreeable location in a safe and peaceful manner.”
I said he looked very well and he said, ‘You are very kind, it’s all smoke and mirrors.’
Videos of the protest were shared on Republic’s social media page. It shows the group wearing bright yellow tops, holding placards. Some of the signs read: “Not My King,” “Down with the Crown” and “Ditch the Duchies”.
A post on Republic’s Facebook page read: “Despite Durham University trying to stop us, we’ve just told Charles that he’s not our king at the Royal Maundy Service!”
However, despite the many protesters outside, King Charles and Queen Camilla held their heads high and greeted the crowds of supporters at the Maundy Thursday service.
It was very clear that the amount of supporters outweighed the number of protesters, but the negativity would be hard to miss. The royals, however, remained unfazed at the angry group of people.
Instead they greeted those who were happy to be there, and made their way into the cathedral for the service.
King Charles’ impromptu remark about his appearance
Meanwhile, following the service, the king and queen greeted members of the public who had gathered.
According to HELLO!, Charles met with Pat Johnson – who was there with his Pembrokeshire Corgi named Lilibet.
Pat revealed to press: “He asked me if she was friendly and he asked me her name. I said she was named after the late queen.
“I said he looked very well and he said, ‘You are very kind, it’s all smoke and mirrors.'”
What is Maundy Thursday?
Maundy Thursday is part of the Christian celebration of Easter. The day commemorates the Last Supper where Jesus washed the feet of his disciples to show humility and service. Charles will present 76 women and 76 men with two purses – one white and one red. The amount of people signifies his age.
This year, the red purse is believed to contain a £5 coin, which commemorates the Queen mother, and a 50p coin that features stories of the Second World War.
The white purse contains Maundy coins that represent the sovereign’s age (which this year is 76p).
Last year, Charles was unable to attend the ceremony due to his ongoing cancer treatment. But in his place, Camilla took part in the ceremony alone.
Each year, the ceremony takes place in a different cathedral or abbey. This is because the late Queen Elizabeth II decided the Maundy money should not only be for those in London.
The service began at 11am, with events happening all throughout the day.
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