The Maundy Service: Queen Elizabeth II’s First Public Engagement

Queen Elizabeth II during her first Royal Maundy service in 1952. Image from Fox Photos/Getty via People.com.

Queen Elizabeth II began her reign after the death of King George VI on February 6, 1952. A little over two months later, on April 10, she stepped inside Westminster Abbey, accompanied by her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, for the first-ever public engagement of her reign: distributing Maundy Money.

The distribution of Maundy money has its origins in the thirteenth century and has been carried out by British monarchs to commemorate Easter Thursday. It was the first time that a queen regnant has personally distributed the royal alms since the reign of  Queen Elizabeth I. The practice of personally distributing Maundy money by the sovereign was discontinued during the reign of King James II in 1685, and re-introduced by George V in 1932, upon the suggestion of his cousin, Princess Marie Louise, hence, starting a new royal tradition.

Twenty-six old men and women, one representing each year of the Queens life, received specially struck silver pennies. The number of recipients in 1952 was the smallest for more than a century. Maundy money still bore the head of King George VI’s head since there was insufficient time to redesign the coins since his death. Each of the recipients received the equivalent of 2/2 made up in little silver pennies, two-penny, three-penny, and four-penny pieces.

The Queen, dressed in mourning black, was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, who was dressed also in black. At the Great West Door of the Abbey they were presented with nosegays and sweet herbs in accordance with ancient custom.

During the service at the Abbey the Queen left the sanctuary to carry out her first distribution, green leather purses containing £1 15/ in lieu of clothing for the women, and white purses containing  £2 5/ allowance for the men.

For the second distribution the Queen again walked through the choir and naive to present red and white purses. The red purses contained £1 "redemption money" and an allowance of £1 10/ in lieu of provisions which formerly were given in kind. The white purses contained the silver maundy pence.

Watch: The Queen At Maundy Service (1952)

Approximately 2000 attended the service, and thousands more waited outside the Abbey in the Easter sunshine to cheer The  Queen and the Duke when they left.

After the ceremony, accompanied by Prince Charles and Princess Anne, the Royal pair left for Windor Castle, where they were joined by the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.

Early in her reign, Elizabeth II Queen decided that Maundy money should not just be distributed to the people of London. She started a new tradition of traveling to various cathedrals or abbeys to give gifts to individuals as a recognition of their service to the community. Since then, The Queen has visited every Anglican Cathedral in England for the Maundy Service.

The Royal Maundy service is an ancient tradition that dates back to the 13^th century. Until  1689,  it was customary to  have brought before him as many poor men as he was years old. Then, he would wash their feet with his own hands. Once done, the sovereign’s maunds, consisting of meat, clothes, and money, were dispensed amongst them. King William III left the washing to his almoner, and such was the arrangement for many years afterwards. The Lord Archbishop of York, Lord High Almoner, performed the annual ceremony of washing the feet of certain number of poor in the royal chapel, Whitehall, which was formerly done by the kings themselves, in imitation of our Saviour's pattern of humility.

The act of washing the feet was eventually abandoned and since the beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria, additional sum of money has been given in lieu of provisions.

Read: 

- The British Royal Family During Easter 

- Watch: Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Maundy Service