Maundy, monarchy and pedilavium: how to make a Servant Sovereign
Having planned to write this piece for some months, in order to coincide with Maundy Thursday, events have rather conspired against its apparent timeliness. At a time when public religious services lie under an unprecedented ban, this now seems an odd time to argue – as I am about to – for a conspicuous increase in social contact in religious services, albeit one in particular. But this mournful period too shall pass, and I hope that one day the argument will be viewed in the light of normalcy. Likewise, a piece predicated on recent moral failings on the part of big hitters in the British Royal Family seems suddenly passé as the media once again becomes awash with admiring columns about our Queen’s pitch-perfect calm in a storm. But one doesn’t need to delve too far back into the fickle media cycle to find an example of a royal putting his foot in it. I closed ranks around the Prince of Wales in his ailment as much as the next Twitter monarchist. But one might humbly ask HRH if...