The coronation procession for King Charles III will be led by a cross which includes religious relics gifted by the Pope.

Two shards of the True Cross, said to be the cross used when Jesus Christ was crucified, were given to Charles by Pope Francis to mark the coronation.

Both pieces are in the shape of a cross – one 1cm in size and the other 5mm – and are set behind a rose crystal gemstone so they can only be seen up close.

The fragments have been incorporated into the Cross of Wales, a gift from the King to the Church in Wales to celebrate its centenary which will lead the coronation procession to Westminster Abbey on May 6.

The cross will be blessed by the Archbishop of Wales at Holy Trinity Church in Llandudno, north Wales, today before being taken to London.

After the coronation the cross will be shared between Welsh Anglican and Catholic churches.

The cross was made from recycled silver bullion from the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, south Wales. The silver includes the royal mark – a leopard’s head – which was applied by King Charles last November.

Words from the final sermon of St David are inscribed on the back of the cross. They read ‘Byddwch lawen. Cadwch y ffydd. Gwnewch y Pethau Bychain’, translated as: ‘Be joyful. Keep the faith. Do the little things.’

It also includes a shaft of Welsh windfall timber and a strand of Welsh slate.

Andrew John, Archbishop of Wales, said: ‘We are honoured that his majesty has chosen to mark our centenary with a cross that is both beautiful and symbolic.

‘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.’

What is the True Cross?

The True Cross is a term used for the cross used during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is held on September 14 in England to mark three events: the finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena; the dedication of churches built by Emperor Constantine on the site of the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary; and the restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem in 629 from the Persians.

Many churches across the world possess remains which are alleged to be fragments of the True Cross – but there are no early accounts that the apostles or early Christians preserved the physical cross themselves.

A purported fragment of the True Cross held by Waterford Cathedral in Ireland was carbon dated and found to date from the 11th century.

In February 2020 a piece of the True Cross was was meant to be placed on board Moskva, a Russian missile cruiser with a chapel on board.

The ship sank last April during the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it’s thought the fragment may have gone down with the ship.

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff and Bishop of Menevia, Mark O’Toole, added: ‘With a sense of deep joy we embrace this cross, kindly given by King Charles, and containing a relic of the True Cross, generously gifted by the Holy See.

‘It is not only a sign of the deep Christian roots of our nation but will, I am sure, encourage us all to model our lives on the love given by our saviour, Jesus Christ.

‘We look forward to honouring it, not only in the various celebrations that are planned, but also in the dignified setting in which it will find a permanent home.’

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