King hands out commemorative coins at Maundy service

King Charles has presented commemorative coins to 152 people at a traditional Maundy Thursday service, held this year at Durham Cathedral, as part of royal Easter celebrations.

The King gave out the specially minted coins to 76 men and 76 women - the same number as his age - to thank them for service to their local community and charity.

He was joined by his wife, Queen Camilla, who stood in for him at last year's Maundy service while he was undergoing cancer treatment.

The service took place after the King issued an Easter message of trying to build bridges between different faiths and recognising the efforts of those who provide humanitarian aid in wars and disasters.

Maundy money is traditionally given to the elderly, and the coins are distributed to local people, typically pensioners.

It is one of the oldest royal ceremonies - dating back at least as far as the 13th Century and the reign of King John - and used to feature the monarch washing the feet of the poor as Jesus did.

This year's Maundy money includes a £5 coin commemorating the Queen Mother and a 50p piece commemorating World War Two.

Each recipient was given two small leather purses by the King, one red and one white.

The white purse contains Maundy money up to the value of the monarch's age in pence, while the red contains a small amount of coinage which symbolises a gift for food and clothing, and includes the commemorative coins.

Although all the coins are legal tender, most recipients tend to keep them as souvenirs.

Before the service, the Bishop of Norwich told them giving Maundy money "is an act of humility on behalf of the monarch".

Crowds of supporters gathered outside the cathedral to welcome the King and Queen, while members of the anti-monarchy group Republic also protested the event, calling it "a tone-deaf tradition" while people were facing rising living costs.

The King's Easter message, released ahead of the service, sought to build bridges between different faiths and recognise the efforts of those providing humanitarian aid in wars and disasters.

"One of the puzzles of our humanity is how we are capable of both great cruelty and great kindness," he said.

The King has promoted links between different religions - and his Christian message also praises the goodness in the Jewish and Islamic faiths.

He also speaks of the "paradox of human life", in which the heroism of humanitarian workers is contrasted with terrible scenes of suffering in war.

A new Humanitarian Medal has been launched, honouring those who risk their own lives to help others in emergencies and war zones, and the King hailed their selflessness and compassion.

For Christians, the Maundy Thursday service marks the Last Supper - and the King's message speaks of the humility of Jesus who "knelt and washed the feet of many of those who would abandon him".

The King said that for people of all religions who "seek the good of others", the core message is one of love for others.

"There are three virtues that the world still needs - faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love," said the King's message.

King Charles is a man of faith and was said by Palace officials to have been deeply moved by the religious mosaics he saw in Ravenna on last week's state visit to Italy.

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