Royal history as the Queen hands out Maundy money
THE Queen made royal history today as she became the first consort to hand over Royal Maundy gifts in the absence of the King.
She deputised for her husband, who is continuing to receive treatment for cancer, when the ancient ceremony was held at Worcester Cathedral this morning.
The Royal Maundy service is a major fixture on the calendar and normally the monarch, who is the head of the Church of England, presents the specially minted coins to people recognised for their community service.
The ceremony began in 1662, when Charles II gave out coins and commemorated Jesus’s Last Supper, when he washed the feet of his disciples as an act of humility the day before Good Friday.
Today sovereigns no longer wash the feet of the needy as they did in medieval times but 75 women and 75 men — signifying the King’s age — were being presented with two purses, one red and one white, filled with Maundy money.
Although the King was not present at the cathedral today, he recorded a personal Easter message which was to be played at the service.
The audio — his first public words since the Princess of Wales revealed she was undergoing chemotherapy — stressed the importance of acts of friendship “especially in a time of need”. He described the Maundy money recipients as “wonderful examples of such kindness” in “giving so much of their lives to the service of others in their communities”.
His message comes as he prepares to attend church on Easter Sunday with the Queen, his most significant public appearance since his diagnosis.
• Prince Harry’s failed court case against the Home Office over the removal of his automatic police protection has cost the taxpayer more than £500,000. The legal bill included more than £180,000 for barristers, £320,000 for the Government’s legal department and £3,200 in court fees, according to a Freedom of Information request by the Daily Telegraph.