Anti-monarchy demonstrators have defaced St Asaph Cathedral with the slogan “Not Our King” painted in bold red lettering ahead of today’s Royal Maundy Service.
The graffiti appeared on the cathedral wall before the scheduled arrival of the King and Queen for the traditional Maundy Thursday ceremony.
Staff were observed attempting to remove the paint from the historic building’s exterior this morning.
A tarpaulin has been draped over part of the vandalism to conceal the damage before the royal visit.
The incident comes as the North Wales cathedral prepares to host its most significant royal occasion in over four decades.
Today’s service represents the first time the Royal Maundy has taken place in Wales since 1982, and only the second occasion in the ceremony’s history.
During the hour-long service, His Majesty will present Maundy Money to 77 men and 77 women, with the number of recipients corresponding to the monarch’s age
The gifts recognise individuals who have demonstrated exceptional Christian service and contributed positively to their local communities.
Recipients have been drawn primarily from the six Welsh dioceses of Swansea and Brecon, St Asaph, Bangor, St Davids, Llandaff and Monmouth, alongside four English dioceses bordering Wales.
The tradition of distributing Maundy Money across different locations stems from Queen Elizabeth II’s early decision that the ceremony should not be confined to London.
She attended every cathedral in the country throughout her reign, a practice her son has maintained.
Following the service, King and Queen will pose for the customary photograph at the West Door before greeting cathedral and community members.
The white purse holds specially struck silver coins totalling 77 pence, reflecting the King’s age, while the red purse contains two commemorative pieces.
These include a £5 coin marking the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth and a 50p piece celebrating five decades of The King’s Trust.
The ceremony will showcase specially commissioned works by Welsh composers and musicians, created to mark the Royal Maundy’s return to Wales.
The Bishop of Norwich, serving as Lord High Almoner, will assist the monarch in presenting the gifts to recipients.
This year’s service will also feature the processional Cross of Wales, which His Majesty presented to the Christians of Wales.
The Cross led the procession at Westminster Abbey during Their Majesties’ Coronation in 2023 and contains a fragment believed to be from the True Cross, gifted to the King by Pope Francis.
St Asaph Cathedral holds the distinction of being Britain’s smallest ancient cathedral, with the current structure dating to the fourteenth century.
Known in Welsh as Llanelwy, meaning the sacred religious enclosure on the River Elwy’s banks, the site has hosted daily prayers for 1,450 years.
The cathedral played a crucial role in preserving the Welsh language and houses an original 1588 William Morgan Bible.
