The Prince of Wales has hailed the kindness of those opening their homes to the Ukrainian and Afghan refugees facing “soul-destroying sorrow and hardship”.

In an Easter message, Prince Charles focused on the many who have been displaced in recent and ongoing conflicts.

He also recalled his late father, the Duke of Edinburgh, who he said had always read the Bible verses recounting the night of the Last Supper, when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, at the Royal family’s annual Maundy Thursday church service.

The Prince said it was an “enormous privilege” to represent the Queen at this year’s Maundy service, when Christians remember that humility and sacrifice are “at the heart of our faith”.

The Queen pulled out of the annual service for only the fifth time in her reign as she continues to struggle with mobility issues.

She is also not expected to attend the Easter Sunday service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor but will instead mark the day privately.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will also miss the traditional service, as they are understood to be at Birkhall, their Scottish residence.

The Prince has issued his own Easter message for the last few years, using it to address issues ranging from the persecution of Christians worldwide to knife crime.

‘Wounded by the past, fearful of the future’

Last year, he showed his support for Catholicism by recording a poem by a Jesuit priest widely regarded as the finest Catholic poet in the English language.

Recounting the story of the Last Supper, Prince Charles said the Lord’s message – to look after and serve one another – was as challenging today as it was then.

“Today, millions of people find themselves displaced, wearied by their journey from troubled places, wounded by the past, fearful of the future – and in need of a welcome, of rest, and of kindness,” he said.

“Over the past years, I have found myself heartbroken at the sufferings of the innocent victims of conflict, or persecution, some of whom I have met and who have told me stories of unutterable tragedy as they have been forced to flee their country and seek shelter far from home.

“But amidst all this sadness and inhumanity, it has been profoundly moving to see how so many people are ready to open their homes to those in need, and how they have offered their time and their resources to help those facing such soul-destroying sorrow and hardship.”

The Prince said that this Easter, he would pray “with all his heart” that the Lord’s example of courage in the face of fear “might help us all dispel the darkness of the world.”