The Royal Maundy Service was held at Leicester Cathedral on Thursday, 13 April 2017, where the Queen distributed Maundy Money in a tradition which dates back to the 13th Century.

The Queen distributes special Maundy money to local pensioners every Maundy Thursday when Christians commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus and the commandment he gave when washing His disciples’ feet.

The royal standard flies above the cathedral #royalmaundy pic.twitter.com/UdgZd8F4HL

— Leicester Cathedral (@LeicsCathedral) 13 April 2017

The word ‘Maundy’ comes from the command or ‘mandatum’ by Christ at the Last Supper, to love one another.

The Queen arrived at Leicester Cathedral, wearing a deep jade green dress, matching coat and hat by Angela Kelly.

The Queen distributes Maundy money to 91 men and 91 women @LeicsCathedral – one for each of Her Majesty’s 91 years #RoyalMaundy pic.twitter.com/iWUtwXOlrG

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 13, 2017

The Queen distributed Maundy Money to 91 men and 91 women in recognition for the contribution to the church and community.

Listen to our 7 April 2017 Podcast about the Royal Maundy Service, including the Maundy Money.

Each recipient is given two leather purses: red and white, which are ceremonial gifts from the Queen. The coins are legal tender but most prefer to hold onto them as keepsakes.

Each recipient of special Maundy money from The Queen today will be given two leather purses, one red and one white #RoyalMaundy pic.twitter.com/d5lqTD6SGo

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 13, 2017

The Queen and Prince Philip met veterans from Leicester, before attending a reception and community lunch at St Martins House.

Following today’s service, the Queen has now visited every Anglican Cathedral in England for Royal Maundy, since her accession to the throne in 1952.

The Queen travels to a different Cathedral or Abbey nearly every year since her accession in 1952. She broke with tradition by taking the Royal Maundy Service nationwide, instead of remaining in London, to distribute gifts to local people.

Hashtag: #RoyalMaundy

Listen to the radio recording of the Royal Maundy Service on BBC Leicester.

How Does The Queen Spend the Easter Break?

The Royal Family usually celebrate Easter in private at Windsor Castle

The Queen and Prince Philip, accompanied by other members of the Royal Family, usually attend the church service on Easter Sunday at St George’s Chapel.

Crowds usually gather to see the Royal Family arrive for the service and when they leave afterwards.

The 14th Century chapel has also been the site for many royal weddings in recent years, including the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and the Order of the Garter ceremony which occurs in June.

The Royal Collection Trust at Buckingham Palace exhibits several works of art which are inspired by traditional Easter eggs, including ornate pieces created by the great Russian goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge.

The Queen’s grandparents, King George V and Queen Mary, added three eggs, including the Basket of Flowers egg which was originally commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II as an Easter gift for his wife, Tsarina Alexandra.

Visitors have given several ornate eggs to the Queen, including Volodymyr Khandogiy, the Ukrainian Ambassador, who gave a wooden egg with a hand-painted portrait during a private meeting at Buckingham Palace.