Pope Francis has gifted King Charles III two shards of wood from the “True Cross,” a religious relic the Vatican claims is a fragment from the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.
The holy gift was presented to King Charles in honour of his upcoming coronation ceremony on May 6.
The Church in Wales announced on Wednesday that the shards would be incorporated into the newly designed Cross of Wales, which will be used to lead the coronation procession.
When he was Prince of Wales, Charles had the cross commissioned for the Church in Wales, a branch of the Anglican Church, in 2020 as a centenary gift.
“We are honoured that His Majesty has chosen to mark our centenary with a cross that is both beautiful and symbolic,” the Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, said in a statement on behalf of the Church in Wales. “Its design speaks to our Christian faith, our heritage, our resources and our commitment to sustainability. We are delighted too that its first use will be to guide Their Majesties into Westminster Abbey at the Coronation Service.”
The two tiny shards, which The Times said are only 0.2 and 0.4 inches long, have reportedly been formed into a cross and placed behind a crystal gemstone at the centre of the Cross of Wales.
The Cross of Wales is made from reclaimed Welsh windfall timber, recycled silver bullion and Welsh slate. The back of the cross is inscribed with words from the last sermon of St. David. The inscription reads “Be joyful. Keep the faith. Do the little things” in Welsh.
King Charles personally applied his “King’s Mark,” a leopard’s head, to the Cross of Wales in November 2022.
The Cross of Wales was blessed by Archbishop Andrew on Wednesday.
Following King Charles’ coronation, the cross will be returned to the Church in Wales to be shared with the Anglican and Catholic churches in the area.
King Charles’ coronation in May will take place at Westminster Abbey and will follow a grand procession planned to start from Buckingham Palace, as per official reports.