March 18, 2026 - 169 views
A Canon at St Asaph Cathedral is one of six senior clerics of the Church in Wales to become an Honorary Chaplain to His Majesty The King.
The appointment of the Revd Canon Michael Balkwill, who is chaplain to the Bishop of St Asaph, was marked by a special service at The Chapel Royal in St James’s Palace as part of the celebrations of St David, the Patron Saint of Wales.
Honorary King’s Chaplains have traditionally been appointed for the Church of England and the Church of Scotland, but can also include other denominations. This is the first time clerics of the Church in Wales have been appointed.
Honorary King’s Chaplains are senior members of the clergy in the United Kingdom who are appointed by the monarch in recognition of distinguished service.
The Dean of the new Royal Chaplaincy for Wales, which is part of the Ecclesiastical Household of The Royal Household, is the Bishop of St Davids, the Rt Revd Dorrien Davies. St David’s Cathedral has historic links with the Royal Family through the Tudor dynasty.
It is unique among cathedrals in the United Kingdom in that since the Reformation the Sovereign has held the stall of the First Canon Cursal, which is among the stalls, or seats, of the Cathedral Chapter members in the Quire.
The Chaplains have been appointed by His Majesty The King in consultation with each of the six Dioceses and the Dean of the Royal Chaplaincy for Wales.
Canon Michael Balkwill said: “I feel both honoured and humbled to have been invited by the King to become a member of his Ecclesiastical Household, especially at this auspicious time when King’s Honorary Chaplains have been recruited from the Province of Wales for the very first time. It will be a joy to serve His Majesty in this capacity in the Diocese of St Asaph.”
The Chaplains will wear a distinctive scarlet cassock and a badge with the Royal cypher. Each will be invited to preach at a Royal Chapel during their period of appointment. They may also be invited by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for each county to participate in national, civic and local events and Royal visits in each of the Lieutenancies of Wales.
The appointments recognise the special relationship of His Majesty The King with Wales. His Majesty was the longest-serving Prince of Wales and has ensured that the language and culture of Wales is given prominence in Royal occasions, including by using the Welsh language in the Coronation, commissioning the processional Cross of Wales, and continuing with the tradition of Royal Harpist.
