God, I'm so over the stuffy royal reporting. Every year it's the same robotic coverage of "His Majesty did this" and "Her Majesty did that." Let me tell you what's actually happening with our coin-distributing monarch this Easter season.
What the heck is Maundy Thursday anyway?
So King Charles (still feels weird not typing "Prince" before his name) has wished everyone a "blessed and peaceful Easter" in his Maundy Thursday message. If you're like me and slept through Sunday school, Maundy Thursday is apparently when Jesus washed his disciples' feet. Fancy that.
Charlie and Camilla are heading to Durham Cathedral for the traditional Maundy service. My cousin lives near Durham - says the cathedral's gorgeous but the parking is a nightmare. Bet the royals don't have that problem.
They'll be handing out special coins to exactly 76 men and 76 women. Why that specific number? It's the King's age. I remember when he turned 70 and everyone was making jokes about him being teh longest-waiting heir in history. Now he's 76 and finally got the top job.
Coins, coins, and more coins
The Maundy Money this year includes a white purse with some specially minted silver coins. There's also a red purse containing a £5 coin commemorating the Queen Mother (who I vaguely remember from my childhood looking like everyone's posh grandma) and a 50p coin featuring WWII stories.
Back in 2018, I actually saw some Maundy Money up close when my friend's grandmother received it. She kept it in a display case and wouldn't let anyone touch it. Can't blame her - probably worth a small fortune on eBay now.
Charles gets deep... like, surprisingly deep
Listen. I wasn't expecting to be emotionally moved by a royal Easter message, but Charles actually said something thought-provoking for once.
"One of the puzzles of our humanity is how we are capable of both great cruelty and great kindness."
He went on about this "paradox of human life" running through the Easter story and how we see it in daily news - terrible suffering alongside heroic acts in war zones. He mentioned meeting humanitarians at Buckingham Palace who risk their lives to help others. I'm picturing him awkwardly making small talk while someone who's dodged bullets to deliver medical supplies nods politely.
Wait... is Charles actually making sense?
The message gets even more interesting when he ties together different religious traditions. He talked about how Jesus washing feet showed boundless love (central to Christianity), but then connected it to Jewish ethics of caring for strangers, Islamic traditions, and basically anyone trying to be a decent human being.
I spent $4K on a religious studies degree that I never used, and I'm impressed by how he managed to be inclusive without watering everything down to meaninglessness. His PR team must be high-fiving each other.
The Grand Finale
Charles wrapped up with what he called the "three virtues that the world still needs - faith, hope and love." And then quoted the Bible saying "the greatest of these is love."
My mother would be so proud I recognized that reference. She dragged me to church every Sunday until I was 17 and threatened to move out. Poor mum.
After all the coin-giving, Charles and Camilla will check out some Magna Cartas on display at the cathedral. First time they've been shown in 8 years! I'm wondering if Charles reads them and thinks "hmm, this really cramped my ancestors' style."
I'm curious what William and Kate are up to this Easter. With her cancer treatment ongoing, they're keeping a low profile. My editor bet me £20 I couldn't write this whole piece without mentioning Harry and Meghan. Well... oops.
The royal paradox
There's something oddly touching about watching Charles embrace his role after waiting literally his entire life for it, only to be diagnosed with cancer shortly after. Like a ghost at a family reunion - finally present but somehow fading simultaneously.
Whatever your thoughts on the monarchy (and mine change with the wind), there's something about Easter's themes of renewal that feels appropriate for a 76-year-old king finding his voice.
Wishing you all chocolate eggs that don't have those weird hard sugar shells. Those are the worst.
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- Research indicates that public support for monarchy in the UK remains strong, with around 70% of the population favoring the institution.
- The British Royal Family, one of the most recognized royal families, has an estimated annual expenditure of around £100 million.
- The average age of reigning monarchs worldwide is approximately 63 years old, reflecting both longevity and the hereditary nature of royal succession.
- Royal weddings often attract massive global audiences, with the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018 drawing an estimated 29 million viewers in the United States alone.
- The global fascination with royal families is evident, as books, films, and documentaries about them frequently top bestseller lists and viewership ratings.
- According to surveys, 60% of people in Canada support maintaining the monarchy as part of their national identity.
- In Spain, the monarchy was restored in 1975 after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and the current king, Felipe VI, ascended to the throne in 2014.
- Some modern monarchs, such as Norway's King Harald V, have chosen to live modestly, with their annual income being largely funded by the state.
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