I was one of 180 recipients, 90 ladies and 90 men, (the number or years of the Queen’s age) who received the Maundy Money from the Queen at The Royal Maundy Service held in St George’s Chapel, Windsor on March 24.
This year, as the Queen was celebrating her 90th birthday, it had been decided that instead of holding the event in a diocesan cathedral with all the recipients being from that diocese, it would be held in St George’s Chapel, Windsor and the Recipients would be invited from all dioceses in England and Scotland. The names of recipients are submitted by their Diocesan Bishop.
Everyone had to be seated in good time so it was wonderful to be able to admire the magnificent architecture of the building and soak up the history and atmosphere. The Lord High Almoner, the Right Reverend Dr John Inge, addressed the Maundy Recipients in the Nave prior to the service and then there was the procession of the College of St George and Chapel Royal and the Royal Almonry Procession. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh arrived at the North Door and were presented with the traditional nosegays before processing into the Chapel.
The Lord High Almoner led the service during which the Queen presented two leather purses to each of the Recipients, half after the first lesson and half after the second lesson. The Red Purse contains a £5 coin, commemorating The Queen’s ninetieth birthday and a 50p coin commemorating the nine hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. Both coins have been minted in 2016. Historically, this sum of £5.50 is made up of £3 for clothing, £1.50 in lieu of provisions and £1 for the redemption of the Sovereign’s gown which, before Tudor times, used to be divided between the Recipients. The White purse contains uniquely minted Maundy Money. This takes the form of one, two, three and four silver penny pieces, the sum of which equals the number of years of the Monarch’s age. This year ninety pennies of silver coins (9sets of 10p per set). The choir sang wonderful pieces of music especially “Zadok the Priest” which made your whole body tingle.
After the service we enjoyed a reception in the State Apartments of Windsor Castle where we could chat with Recipients from other dioceses, some of which I already knew. Drinks and food was served and we were given a tour of the apartments. It was such a wonderful privilege to receive the Maundy Money from the Queen and a day which both I and my husband Geoff will remember for ever."
Angela Byram is a Lay Canon Emeritus of Wakefield Cathedral and the Former Lay Chair of the historic Wakefield Diocese.
She has served on various committees in developing the Diocese of Leeds, West Yorkshire & the Dales from the three dioceses of Bradford, Ripon & Leeds and Wakefield.
She has been a stalwart of the Mothers' Union - both locally, nationally and internationally - she has served for 25 years in senior positions of the Mothers’ Union including Diocesan President (Wakefield), the first Provincial President for York Province and the Worldwide Trustee supporting the Mothers’ Union Provincial Presidents around the world. Organised numerous services , pilgrimages and events including the Millennium Fun Day at the Great Yorkshire Show Ground, Harrogate for MU members and families throughout England, Scotland, Canterbury, Wales and Ireland.