Young girl turned shy as King Charles greets fans after church service
This 800-year tradition has taken place in Wales only once before, at St Davids in 1982
A delightful scene unfolded this afternoon when a little girl turned shy as King Charles reached out to greet her after the Royal Maundy Service at St Asaph Cathedral in Denbighshire.
The King, along with Queen Camilla, had just wrapped up the annual event and stepped out to meet the crowd gathered outside the north Wales cathedral.
People holding both Union flags and Welsh flags lined the street, hoping to see the royal pair.
The service celebrates individuals who have shown outstanding Christian service and made a positive difference in their communities.
The ceremony marked a significant moment for north Wales, featuring St Asaph Cathedral—Britain's smallest historic cathedral—hosting the Royal Maundy for the first time in the area's history.
This 800-year tradition has taken place in Wales only once before, at St Davids in 1982.
The late Queen Elizabeth II began the practice of rotating the service among different churches across the country each year.
Beginning in 1210, the first royal Maundy service was carried out by King John, as reported by the BBC.
While monarchs in the past washed the feet of select individuals, the modern service focuses on giving out specially minted coins.
Today, the King gave Maundy money to 154 people—77 men and 77 women—to match his age.
The tradition includes unique red and white purses, with this year's white purse holding Maundy coins worth the King's years in age.
The red purse contained a commemorative £5 coin celebrating the 100th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.
The British leather goods company Ettinger, a Royal Warrant holder, created the ceremonial purses for this year's event.
Anti-monarchy protesters made their presence known during the service, with Republic activists stationed across from the cathedral holding "Not My King" banners and signs.
Before the arrival of the royals, graffiti was spray-painted on a wall outside St Asaph Cathedral. As reported by the Times, "Workers in high-vis jackets were seen trying to scrub off the paint."