King Charles issues Easter message as Camilla is set to stand in for him during Thursday ceremony amid health woes

THE King will stress the importance of acts of friendship in his Easter message today.

Charles, 75, has recorded a Bible reading and personal message for the congregation at the Maundy Thursday ceremony at Worcester Cathedral.

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Queen Camilla, 76, is standing in for him and will hand out ceremonial coins to 75 men and 75 women — the number reflecting Charles’s age.

The silver coins distributed at the Royal Maundy service are specially minted.

Recipients are chosen for their service to the church in their local area.

The amount of people who receive the coins depends on the sovereign’s age.

In his brief personal message, the King will say how, as a nation, “we need and benefit greatly from those who extend the hand of friendship to us, especially in a time of need”.

He will praise Maundy money recipients as “wonderful examples of such kindness”.

He will read from the Bible and say how the Lord Jesus set us an “example of how we should serve and care for each other”.

And he will reamplify his own Coronation pledge “not to be served but to serve”.

The message was recorded at Buckingham Palace earlier this month and played on loud speakers to hundreds expected to attend.