King Charles III will address the nation on Maundy Thursday

King Charles III will make his first address to the nation since being diagnosed with cancer. He will appear in a video in the annual Maundy Thursday (28) message.

In the recording, the monarch will talk about kindness and friendship. The message, which will be released this Thursday morning (28), will also cite the example of Jesus before addressing public services and those who “extend the hand of friendship”.

With her husband away from most public duties because of illness, Queen Camilla will lead the traditional Easter ceremony known as Royal Maundy, in which small bags of money are distributed in the Church of England Cathedral.

On Sunday, King Charles will attend Easter service at St George's Chapel in Windsor. This will be the royal's first in-person public appearance at a traditional event since his cancer diagnosis was revealed in February.

The announcement came days after Kate, the Princess of Wales and the king's daughter-in-law, said she had also been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing preventive chemotherapy.

This year's Easter service will be smaller in scale due to the king's health, Buckingham Palace said.

Kate and her husband, heir to the throne Prince William, will not attend, as had already been announced by her office.

Since his cancer diagnosis, Charles has reduced his public appearances while he receives treatment. He did not attend Commonwealth Day celebrations in early March, a notable absence on an important occasion in the British monarchy's annual calendar.

The king appears to be gradually intensifying his public engagements.

On Tuesday (26), he met, at Buckingham Palace, with religious leaders who were part of a program aimed at promoting harmony and sharing leadership experiences at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions.

The confirmation that he will attend church on Sunday followed reports that Charles was finding the pace of his recovery frustrating, according to his nephew Peter Phillips.