Thursday 28 March 2019

Royal Maundy Service

Maundy memories
Wehwalt, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Royal Maundy service takes place each year on the Thursday before Easter. The Royal Maundy service is an important event for the King as he is head of the Church of England.  

At the service the Monarch distributes specially-minted coins in red and white purses to people from across the country in recognition of their outstanding Christian service. The number of recipients is determined by the Monarch’s age. If the Monarch is 74, there there would be 74 men and 74 women. 

The red purse always contains a £5 and a fifty pence commemorative coin. The white purse contains a set of specially minted silver Maundy coins with equivalent value in pence to the Monarch’s age. (The coins are usually made up of 1p, 2p, 3p, & 4p coins.)

King Charles III's Reign (2022-Present)
The number of recipients and coins is based on the King’s age at Easter, not the age he is turning that year. 
                                                                      
YearCharlesCamillaOther Location Notes
2020's
2029-----
2028-----
2027-----
2026-----
2025-----
2024
X

Worcester Cathedral
King Charles was absent due
to his cancer treatment
2023xx
York Minster1st of Charles's Reign.
York was likely chosen as the tradition
of the Royal Maundy Service
started in Yorkshire. 

Queen Elizabeth II's Reign (1952-2022)

The Queen attended annually and was usually joined by Prince Philip before his retirement in 2017. The service in 1952 was the Queen first public engagement after her accession. In the early years of her reign, the Queen followed the tradition of past monarchs and held the service in London each year. The honor of hosting the Royal Maundy service would rotate between different London Churches.

Between 1957 & 1970, The Queen started alternating the Maundy Thursday service between Westminister Abbey & churches outside London. After 1970, The Queen decided to hold the service at Westminister Abbey once a decade to allow her to visit more of England. The Westminister Abbey service is always on the year ending in 1 as that is a milestone birthday year for the Queen. 

In 2017, The Queen completed her goal of attending the Royal Maundy service at all England's 40+ Anglican Cathedrals. Since then the service has been held at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where the Queen holds her month-long Easter Court. Except for years ending in 1, when the service is held at Westminister Abbey. 

The number of recipients and coins was based on Queen Elizabeth’s age she was turning that year. Not necessarily her current age, as sometimes her birthday fell before Maundy Thursday. And sometimes after. 

Note: The Court Circular on Royal.UK only goes back to 1997. So, attendance before that may not be complete, especially for Prince Philip.

YearQueenPhilip
OtherNotes
2020's
2022xPrince Charles
Duchess
Camilla
Held at St. George's Chapel, in Windsor.
2021x
Canceled due to the Coronavirus.
Was Scheduled to be held at Westminister Abbey in Windsor.
2020x
Canceled due to the Coronavirus.
Was Scheduled to be held at St. George's Chapel, in Windsor.

2010's
2019 x Princess Eugenie Held at St. George's Chapel, in Windsor.
2018 x
Held at St. George's Chapel, in Windsor.
Prince Philip canceled due to hip problems.
2017 x x Held at Leicester Cathedral.
Completed goal of attending Maundy Thursday service at all England's 40+ Anglican Cathedrals.
2016 x x Held at St. George's Chapel, in Windsor.
2015 x x Held at Sheffield Cathedral.
2014 x x Held at Blackburn Cathedral.
2013 x x Held at Christ Church Cathedral, in Oxford. 
2012xxPrincess Beatrice Held at York Minster, in York.
Queen's Diamond Jubilee year. 
2011 x x Held at Westminster Abbey, in London.
Queen's 85th Birthday.
2010 x x Held at Derby Cathedral. 
Year Queen Philip Other Notes
2000's
2009xxHeld at St. Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds.
2008xxHeld at St. Patrick's Cathedral, in Armagh.
First time the service ever took place in Northern Ireland.
2007xxHeld at Manchester Cathedral. 
2006xxHeld at Guildford Cathedral.
2005xxHeld at Wakefield Cathedral.
2004xxHeld at Liverpool Cathedral.
2003xxHeld at Gloucester Cathedral.
2002xxHeld at Canterbury Cathedral.
2001xxHeld at Westminster Abbey, in London. 
2000xxHeld at Lincoln Cathedral.
1990's
1999 x x Held at Bristol Cathedral.
1998 x x Held at Portsmouth Cathedral.
1997x x Held at Bradford Cathedral.
1996x x Held at Norwich Cathedral. 
1995x x Held at Coventry Cathedral.
1994x x Held at Truro Cathedral.
1993x x Held at Wells Cathedral.
1992x x Held at Chester Cathedral.
1991x x Held at Westminster Abbey.
1990x Held at St Nicholas Cathedral, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Year Queen Philip Other Notes
1980's
1989 x x Held at St Philip's Cathedral, in Birmingham.
1988 x x Held at Lichfield Cathedral.
1987x x Held at Ely Cathedral.
1986 x x Held at Chichester Cathedral.
1985 x x Held at Ripon Cathedral.
1984 x x Held at Southwell Minster.
1983 x x Held at Exeter Cathedral.
1982 x x Held at St. David's Cathedral, in Wales.
1981 x Held at Westminster Abbey.
1980 x x Held at Worcester Cathedral.
1970's
1979 x x Held at Winchester Cathedral.
1978x x Held at Carlisle Cathedral.
1977 x x Held at Westminster Abbey.
1976 x x Held at Hereford Cathedral.
1975 x Held at Peterborough Cathedral.
1974 x x Held at Salisbury Cathedral.
1973 x x Held at Westminster Abbey.
1972 x Held at York Minster.
1971 x Held at Tewkesbury Abbey.
1970
Queen Mum Held at Westminster Abbey, in London.
Queen was in New Zealand on a Canada + South Pacific Tour. 
Year Queen Philip Other Notes
1960's
1969 x x Held at Selby Abbey
1968 x x Prince Charles Held at Westminster Abbey, in London.
1967 x Held at Durham Cathedral. 
1966 x x Held at Westminster Abbey, in London.
1965 x x Held at Canterbury Cathedral
1964
Princess Mary
(Queen Elizabeth's aunt)
Held at Westminster Abbey, in London.
Queen was absent due to Prince Edward's recent birth.
1963 x Held at Chelmsford Cathedral. 
1962 x x Prince Charles
Princess Anne
Princess Margaret
Lord Snowdon
Held at Westminster Abbey, in London.
(1962 was the 10th Anniversary of Queen Accession)
1961x x Held at Rochester Cathedral.
1960
Queen Mum Held at Westminster Abbey, in London.
Queen was absent due to Prince Andrew's recent birth.
1950's
1959x Queen Mum
Princess Margaret
Princess Anne
Held at St. George's Chapel, in Windsor.
1958x
Held at Westminster Abbey, in London.
1957x x Held at St Albans Abbey, in Hertfordshire.
First time Queen held the service outside London.
1956x x Held at Westminster Abbey, in London.
1955x
Held at Southwark Cathedral, in London. 
1954Lord High Almoner officiated Held at Westminster Abbey, in London. Queen on Commonwealth Tour.
1953x x Held at St Paul's Cathedral, in London. 
1952x x Held at Westminster Abbey, in London.
Queen's 1st public engagements since her accession.

3 comments:

  1. The Queen's aunt died in 1965 so can not possibly have officiated at the 1970 Royal Maundy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, I double checked. I mixed The Queen Mum's attendance in 1970 with Princess Mary's in 1964.

      Delete
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