Young girl shies away as King Charles greets well-wishers after church service in sweet moment

Dorothy Reddin
Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:29:33 +0000

A charming moment unfolded this afternoon when a young girl became bashful as King Charles extended his hand in greeting following the Royal Maundy Service at St Asaph Cathedral in Denbighshire.

The monarch, accompanied by Queen Camilla, had just concluded the annual ceremony when he ventured out to meet members of the public gathered outside the north Wales cathedral.

Well-wishers clutching both Union flags and Welsh flags had assembled along the street to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.

The service honours individuals who have demonstrated exceptional Christian service and positively impacted their local communities.

The ceremony marked a historic occasion for north Wales, with St Asaph Cathedral—Britain's smallest ancient cathedral—hosting the Royal Maundy for the first time in the region's history.

The 800-year-old tradition has only taken place in Wales on one previous occasion, at St Davids in 1982.

The late Queen Elizabeth II established the practice of rotating the service between different churches across the country each year.

Dating back to 1210, the first royal Maundy service was conducted by King John, according to the BBC.

Whilst monarchs historically washed the feet of chosen individuals, the modern ceremony centres on the presentation of specially minted coins.

The King presented Maundy money to 154 recipients today—77 men and 77 women—a number chosen to reflect his age.

The tradition involves distinctive red and white purses, with this year's white purse containing Maundy coins totalling the value of the monarch's years.

The red purse included a special £5 coin marking the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II's birth.

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British leather goods manufacturer Ettinger, which holds a Royal Warrant, produced the ceremonial purses for this year's service.

Anti-monarchy demonstrators made their presence felt during the service, with Republic activists positioning themselves opposite the cathedral bearing "Not My King" banners and placards.

Prior to the royal couple's arrival, spray-painted graffiti appeared on a wall outside St Asaph Cathedral. According to the Times, "Workers in high-vis jackets were seen attempting to remove the paint."

Republic stated on their website that the protest aimed to maintain focus on Prince Andrew, who was arrested last month on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

"We can't let the royals dodge accountability," the group declared. "We'll follow them everywhere, making sure that question is repeated time and time again."