Queen Camilla Will Make History at Royal Maundy Service

May 2024 · 2 minute read

Though Queen Camilla is currently on break from her royal duties (more on that later), she will be making history once she fills in for King Charles at an upcoming event later this month.

Worcester Cathedral announced on March 4 that Camilla will hand out the Royal Maundy gifts, filling in for King Charles while he receives cancer treatment, at the Royal Maundy Service (royal church service held on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday) on March 28. Though Queen Camilla has attended the event alongside Charles in the past, Daily Mail reported that she will be the first consort to lead the ancient tradition.

"We are SO excited to announce that we will be welcoming Her Majesty The Queen to the Cathedral on Maundy Thursday (28 March) as we host the Royal Maundy service," Worcester Cathedral's official account shared on X. "HM The Queen will be distributing the Royal Maundy gifts on behalf of His Majesty The King at this year's Service."

In the meantime, Camilla has a few days left of her break from royal duties. On March 4, The Sunday Timesreported that Camilla would not participate in any royal engagements until March 11. Her first event after returning to royal duties will be an appearance at the Commonwealth Day service — a celebration of the 56 independent member countries across “Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Americas, the Pacific and Europe," according its official website — at Westminster Abbey.

 “Although she was not expecting to find herself in the position of leading the family, the Queen is absolutely prepared to do whatever needs to be done for the institution," a royal source told the Times. 

“She has found reserves of energy that even she didn’t think she had,” the source continued. “The estimation of her by those inside the palace has soared as she has put her shoulder to the wheel.”

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