Would Prince William attend the Maundy Thursday service in his father’s place?

Several weeks ago, Robert Hardman’s latest royal book was being widely excerpted and discussed. Most of the discussion centered on QEII’s rage about her great-granddaughter’s name, to the point where many people failed to mention that Hardman’s sources took many digs at Prince William. Hardman’s book was authorized, and so it’s basically officially from Buckingham Palace that William isn’t academic, intellectual, political or any kind of reader. Nor is William religious in the least – he doesn’t like going to church and he’s not committed to this whole “Church of England” thing. There’s been little discussion of that, but now that Lent and Easter are approaching, there are more questions about whether William will get off his ass and attend a Maundy service in his father’s absence. From The Mail:

With Ash Wednesday marking the start of Lent tomorrow, the King’s thoughts will be doubtless be turning to an important moment in the year of a Monarch and an occasion he will not want to miss. An ancient Christian ceremony mixing leadership and service, next month’s Maundy Thursday service sees the King wash the feet of his subjects and hand out specially minted Maundy coins. It has deep roots. Stretching back to the Middle Ages, the Maundy Service commemorates the the Last Supper, when Christ washed the feet of his disciples but also remembers the commitment to serve made in the King’s Coronation vows.

Yet with King Charles now receiving cancer treatment, there is every chance he will not be there this year (the venue is yet to be disclosed) leaving this duty to – most likely – his heir, Prince William. The task would certainly remind the prince of his destiny – and of how very much that future is bound up with Christian faith. It would also raise some questions that nag a little more insistently with every passing year: just what does Prince William believe? And how committed is he to the Church of England he will one day lead.

His great friend, Lord Chartres, once told me that the King ‘is enthralled by religion’. That fascination does not seem to be shared with the Prince of Wales. There is little evidence of his own religious beliefs, although he was christened as a baby and later confirmed by Lord Chartres. By the time Charles was in his forties – the age that William is at now – he was regularly given lengthy speeches about religion and ethics. Speechmaking is not William’s forte, it is true. He prefers practical action.

Where there is evidence of his interest in faith, it is in his strong connections to religious organisations that work at the grassroots, helping those who are homeless. About such things, he is passionate. His charitable commitment has not, however, been enough to prevent speculation that William might cut ties with the Church of England when his time comes. That he would not be Supreme Governor.

According to biographer Robert Hardman’s new book, Charles III – New King, New Court, William is not a regular church-goer and ‘is not instinctively comfortable in a faith environment.’ Not that the prince could change the relationship unilaterally, for the British monarchy and the Established Church, the Church of England, are so bound up together that he could not become King without being ‘in communion with’ the Church of England, according to the Act of Settlement, 1701.

Today and in the immediate future, the King’s siblings and children will be more concerned for his health than the constitutional niceties of church attendance. But whoever washes the feet of the 75 chosen citizens – 75 to mark Charles’s age – on March 28, this much will be unavoidable: Christian faith, which at the heart of the King’s life and looked-for recovery, is at the very heart of Monarchy itself. At some point, answers will be needed.

[From The Daily Mail]

Keep in mind, if William had his way, he would have been away from “work” past Easter, like Kate. The timeline for Kate’s recovery was “after Easter” and even now, they’re suggesting that it will be more like May or June before she’s seen again. My point is that no, I do not believe William will take over any of the religious events this year. He will skip the Maundy service (March 28) and he’ll probably skip going to church on Easter Sunday too. Charles will probably ask Anne or the Edinburghs to go to the Maundy service in his place. This Mail columnist is right – questions will be asked and “at some point, answers will be needed.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar, Cover Images.