The Cross of Wales to lead King Charles' Coronation procession at Westminster Abbey

The Cross of Wales is made out of recycled silver and Welsh slate. Credit: The Church in Wales.

The "beautiful and symbolic" Cross of Wales will lead the King's Coronation procession at Westminster Abbey next month.

King Charles III received the cross as a personal gift from Pope Francis to mark his Coronation.

Two shards of the True Cross are said to be the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The monarch marked a centenary of the Church in Wales, by handing over the cross, as a gift, when he was Prince of Wales.

The Cross of Wales is made out of recycled silver and the shaft is made from Welsh windfall timber. Credit: The Church in Wales.

Inscribed with words from St David’s last sermon, it will be blessed by the Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, at Holy Trinity Church in Llandudno today, Wednesday 19 April.

Designed and made by master silversmith Michael Lloyd, it is crafted from recycled silver from the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, a shaft of Welsh windfall timber and a stand of Welsh slate.

Words from the last sermon of St David read in Welsh: “Byddwch lawen. Cadwch y ffydd. Gwnewch y Pethau Bychain”, which translates to English as: “Be joyful. Keep the faith. Do the little things.”

Silver elements bear a full hallmark which was applied by The King in November 2022 when visiting The Goldsmiths’ Centre. Credit: The Church in Wales.

The cross will be officially received by the Church in Wales at a service to follow the Coronation and its use going forward will be shared between the Anglican and Catholic Churches in Wales.

Archbishop Andrew John said the Church in Wales is “honoured that His Majesty has chosen to mark our centenary with a cross that is both beautiful and symbolic".

He added that its design "speaks to our Christian faith, our heritage, our resources and our commitment to sustainability".

Designer and maker, Michael Lloyd said, “This project started with a love of the material, its malleability, its potential for expression. The commission has allowed me to delve into the previous 1,000 years of faith and history. Now, with more than 267 thousand hammer blows, the cross has emerged from the inanimate sheets of silver."