The King quipped “it’s all smoke and mirrors” as a wellwisher told him he looked in good health, as he and the Queen were in good spirits attended the Maundy Thursday service at Durham Cathedral.
Charles, 76, dressed smartly in a morning suit waved to the crowds who had gathered outside as he and his wife Camilla, 77, arrived at the church.
It comes after His Majesty missed last year’s ceremony while he was receiving treatment for cancer.
Watch their arrival below…
After the service, the King and Queen took the time to meet with members of the public who had stood outside the 932-year-old cathedral.
Charles met Pat Johnson, 54, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, who was holding her three-stone 18-month-old Pembrokeshire Corgi named Lilibet.
Mrs Johnson said: “He asked me if she was friendly and he asked me her name. I said she was named after the late Queen.
“I said he looked very well and he said, ‘You are very kind, it’s all smoke and mirrors’.”
The Royal Maundy ceremony is a major fixture on the royal calendar, where the monarch, who is the head of the Church of England, presents specially minted coins to people recognised for their community service.
Ahead of the outing, the King released a moving Easter message, in which he hailed love as an important virtue across religions and one that the world “still needs”.
See all of the photos from the service…
© GettyInside the cathedral
As Their Majesties took their seats inside Durham Cathedral for the ceremony, they were pictured sharing a lighthearted joke.
The outing comes just a week after the couple marked their 20th wedding anniversary during their four-day state visit to Italy.
© Getty ImagesEaster tradition
The King then handed out Maundy Money to 76 men and 76 women – one for each year of his life – to thank them for their “outstanding Christian service”.
The recipients were presented with two purses, one red and one white, containing Maundy Money.
© Getty ImagesAncient ceremony
The white purse contains newly-minted coins while the red one has a £5 coin commemorating the Queen Mother and a 50p coin featuring Second World War stories.
The service, which used to feature the monarch washing the feet of the poor as Jesus did, is a major point in the Royal calendar.
© Getty ImagesMagna Carta
The King and Queen also spent time marvelling at the cathedral’s 800-year-old Magna Carta.
Charles said: “Remarkable, great to see it intact.”
© GettyGroup photograph
Inside the cathedral they were presented with the traditional nosegays, a small flower bouquet.
Before leaving the service, Their Majesties posed for a group photograph.
© Getty ImagesFour-legged friend
The moment the King met a Pembrokeshire corgi called Lilibet during a brief walkabout after the service.
© GettyCamilla’s look
The Queen looked elegant in a dark green dress by Anna Valentine and a matching hat by Philip Treacy, with a black caped jacket.
She also toted her black quilted Chanel bag.
© GettySentimental jewels
Camilla accessorised her outfit with a pair of chunky gold and diamond earrings, and a diamond and emerald knot brooch, which belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
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