The Queen is set to step in for King Charles at the annual Royal Maundy Service at Worcester Cathedral.

The King continues to undergo treatment for his cancer, which has seen him miss public engagements. Behind the scenes, he continues to work on his red boxes of state papers.

On Thursday 28 March – Maundy Thursday – the Queen will hand out the traditional Royal Maundy gifts, including the ceremonial coins given to 75 men and 75 women from around the country.

The Royal Maundy Service is a notable fixture on the royal calendar, and those receiving the specially minted coins are recognised for their community service.

The tradition runs back to at least the 4th century, with the first record of a monarch taking part in 1213.

The number of men and women taking part is equivalent to the monarch’s age and, in recent years, the service has travelled from cathedral to cathedral.

Last year, the King and Queen attended the ceremony at York Minster.

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Lord High Almoner Bishop John will accompany the Queen as she presents the gifts.

He said: “It is an honour to be able to welcome HM The Queen to Worcester. This is an immensely special service and I know it will mean a huge amount to those who have been chosen to receive the coins, all of whom will have given years of service to their local communities.”

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The King, 75, was diagnosed with a “form of cancer” earlier this year.

On 5 February, Buckingham Palace announced that the cancer had been discovered while he underwent a procedure for an enlarged prostate.

His Majesty has been mostly staying at his Sandringham estate, in Norfolk, following his first round of treatment in London.

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