King Charles mourns 'cruelty of humanity' in emotional Easter message for Maundy Thursday

King has spoken of humanity's "great cruelty and great kindness" in an emotional message for The King and will meet specially invited guests and hand out Maundy money at Durham Cathedral this morning, where they will host the Royal Maundy Service.

Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, Jesus’ final meal with his 12 disciples before he was killed the following day. It takes place on the Thursday before Easter Day. According to Durham Cathedral: "Each recipient of Maundy money is given two small leather purses by The King, one red and one white.

"The first contains a small amount of ordinary coinage which symbolises the Sovereign's gift for food and clothing.

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"The second purse contains Maundy coins up to the value of the Sovereign's age, which this year is 76p. The coins are legal tender but recipients normally prefer to retain them as a keepsake."

The last Royal Maundy Service to take place at Durham Cathedral was in 1967. Last year, the King wasn't able to attend public events while he was undergoing treatment for cancer.

Thousands of royalists are excepted to turn out in the streets ahead of the service.

The King's Easter message in full reads: "One of the puzzles of our humanity is how we are capable of both great cruelty and great kindness.

"This paradox of human life runs through the Easter story and in the scenes that daily come before our eyes — at one moment, terrible images of human suffering and, in another, heroic acts in war torn countries where humanitarians of every kind risk their own lives to protect the lives of others.

"A few weeks ago, I met many such people at a reception in and felt a profound sense of admiration for their resilience, courage and compassion.

"On Maundy Thursday, Jesus knelt and washed the feet of many of those who would abandon Him. His humble action was a token of His love that knew no bounds or boundaries and is central to Christian belief.

"The love he showed when He walked the Earth reflected the Jewish ethic of caring for the stranger and those in need, a deep human instinct echoed in Islam and other religious traditions, and in the hearts of all who seek the good of others.

"The abiding message of Easter is that God so loved the — the whole world — that He sent His son to live among us to show us how to love one another, and to lay down His own life for others in a love that proved stronger than death.

"There are three virtues that the world still needs — faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. It is with these timeless truths in my mind, and my heart, that I wish you all a blessed and peaceful Easter."