Royal Maundy Service – King and Queen to visit Durham City

As Durham looks forward to welcoming The King and Queen to the city later this month, details of measures to ensure a safe and successful visit have been released.

King Charles and Queen Camilla are due to attend a Maundy Service at Durham Cathedral on Thursday, 17 April, when they will meet specially invited guests and hand out Maundy money.

We are working closely with Durham Police, Durham County Council and the Cathedral to support the visit and ensure residents, visitors and businesses are able to make the most of the historic occasion.

Significant restrictions for motorists and pedestrians

All roads leading into and out of the peninsula area of the city will be closed to vehicular traffic from 6am to 3pm on the day of the visit.

Spectators will be able to gather on Palace Green and in the Market Place to get the best views of Their Majesties as their motorcade passes, but significant restrictions will be in place to ensure the safety of the expected crowds.

Access to Palace Green will be limited overnight while safety measures, including pedestrian barriers, are put in place, with Windy Gap and Dun Cow Lane closed to all pedestrians.

The city is likely to be busy on the day of the visit, so anyone wishing to watch from Palace Green is encouraged to be in position by 9.30am.

Spectators will not be allowed to congregate on a narrow section of Saddler Street and Owengate and police, neighbourhood wardens and volunteers will be on hand to offer advice to the public on the best vantage points to safely view Their Majesties in the royal car.

A really special occasion

A spokesperson on behalf of the City of Durham Parish Council said: “The City is well prepared to welcome Their Majesties this Thursday thanks to the phenomenal work of our Operation Maundy Working Group here in Durham. A huge thanks to all the partners who have worked soo amazingly with us throughout these preparations. It is great to see Durham City looking so wonderful and with such a buzz of excitement too. Now just to order the sunshine!”