The Queen wore spring-like Easter yellow for the annual Maundy Thursday service at St George’s Chapel, at Windsor Castle today.
Her Majesty, 92, was joined by her granddaughter Princess Eugenie for the annual service, which sees her offering commemorative coins to senior citizens.
The recipients are retired, pensioners recommended by clergy and ministers of all denominations – in recognition of service to the Church and to the local community.
This year, the Queen will hand out Maundy money to 93 men and women, one for each of her 93 years. She will celebrate her birthday on Saturday.
Meanwhile, her husband Prince Philip, 97, who retired in August 2017, did not join the royals for the service and was seen driving in Windsor Great Park.
St George’s chapel has a significance for Princess Eugenie, as she married her husband Jack Brooksbank at the church on 12 October 2018.
The royals looked overjoyed to be attending the service at St George’s Chapel together, which is a rare official appearance from the pair. They were joined by schoolchildren from Holy Family Catholic School, in Berkshire
Princess Eugenie, 29, wore a stylish floral Erdem dress and a small navy blue hat for the service. She was given a traditional nosegay at the chapel’s door before entering the church
As The Queen and Eugenie attended the service, Prince Philip, 97, was seen driving his Land Rover at Windsor Castle. The royal officially retired from duty in August 2017
Princess Eugenie donned a blue floral dress from Erdem which featured a ruffled neck and long sleeves.
It’s a favourite of the princess, as the royal was spotted in the dress at Royal Ascot and for a meeting at the UN headquarters.
She paired it with navy blue accessories, including a small hat with plait detailing.
Meanwhile the Queen wore a buttercup-coloured Stewart Parvin outfit and matching hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan, with an Australian wattle brooch.
The Queen and Princess Eugenie arrived at the Royal Maundy Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle earlier today
The Queen wore a bright, colourful skirt beneath her yellow coat, which featured yellow and purple flowers that perfectly matching her nosegay. She topped off her outfit with an Australian wattle brooch
The royals arrived at the Maundy Service earlier today, and waved to crowds. The annual service will see the Queen handing out commemorative coins to 93 pensioners
The Queen wore her glasses to present the 93 commemorative coins to the 93 pensioners, which honours the monarch’s upcoming 93rd birthday
Beneath her yellow coat, the Queen wore a bright, colourful floral skirt, which featured purple and yellow flowers.
Both outfits perfectly matched the gorgeous spring flowers that the royals held as they walked into church.
The presentation of the money is taking place during the Royal Maundy service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
The pensioners were chosen in recognition of their service to the community and the Church.
The royal pair held nosegays at they attended the service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. It was a rare public appearance Eugenie and the Queen, who were last seen together at an official event of this kind in 2009
The Queen handed out the coins to the pensioners, who are chosen each year in recognition of their service to the community and the Church
The Queen waved to four school children from Holy Family Catholic School in Berkshire, who curtseyed to her, before they joined the monarch for a photograph
The four schoolchildren from Holy Family Catholic School in Berkshire posed alongside the Queen and Princess Eugenie of York after the service. The children and Royal Almonry team wear a linen towel – an act to remember Jesus washing the feet of his disciples
The Queen handed two purses – one white and one red – to 93 men and 93 women, marking her 93rd birthday, which she will celebrate next month
The Queen, who first attended the service aged eight, seemed overjoyed to attend the Royal Maundy service once again this year
It is the first time in ten years that Princess Eugenie and the Queen have attended an official royal event of this kind together
The Queen looked radiant in a buttercup-coloured Stewart Parvin outfit and matching hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan, and stunning pearl jewelry.
The royal looked overjoyed to be greeting those honoured with the commemorative coins this year, smiling at one recipient who bowed his head to her
The Queen was joined by Princess Eugenie for the service, which is an annual fixture in the royal’s calendar. She had only missed it four times during her reign
When the Queen arrived at the chapel’s north door with her granddaughter they were presented with traditional nosegays – which in ancient times warded off unpleasant smells – before taking their seats at the head of the congregation.
The nosegays are made up of daffodils, primroses, stocks, purple statice, freesias, ivy, hebe and the herbs rosemary and thyme.
This year the service was held at St George’s Chapel, at Windsor Castle, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank tied the knot last year.
It’s a rare public appearance for Princess Eugenie and the Queen.
Eugenie, now 29, last joined the Queen when her grandmother, with the Duke of Edinburgh, opened the Great North Museum in Newcastle in 2009.
Princess Eugenie joined the Queen for the annual service for the first time. She has a special connection to St George’s Chapel after marrying her now husband at the church in October
The Queen, pictured here with The Rt Revd David Conner from St George’s Chapel, presents the commemorative coins in the service every year to a number of pensioners
The Queen, pictured here with The Rt Revd David Conner from St George’s Chapel, attends the annual event every year
The Queen and Princess Eugenie looked overjoyed to be at the service, and posed for photographs afterward with schoolchildren. The children and Royal Almonry team wear a linen towel – an act to remember Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. Historically older gentleman, clad in linen towels assisted recipients at the ceremony.
The Queen, pictured here leaving St George’s Chapel, presented 93 commemorative coins during the annual Royal Maundy service
The then 19-year-old princess was studying English, history of art and politics at the city’s university.
While the royal pair were at the church service, the Queen’s husband Prince Philip, 97, was seen driving his Land Rover in the estate at Windsor Castle.
Philip also missed the service last year, apparently because he was experiencing some trouble with his hip.
It came as a surprise at the time, as he was still named in the order of service, but it seems he ultimately decided not to attend.
Meanwhile, the Queen’s husband Prince Philip, who no longer carries out Royal Duties, headed out for a drive in his Land Rover at Windsor Castle
She looked overjoyed to be taking part in the annual service once again, and was given a nosegay at the door of the church before entering
It was a rare appearance for the royal duo, who were last at an official event together ten years ago. They posed for photographs with children from Holy Family Catholic School in Berkshire
The royal last joined the Queen in 2017 for the annual service, which celebrates Maundy Thursday.
Maundy Thursday, which is the Christian holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter, and commemorates the Maundy and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles.
The Royal Maundy is an ancient ceremony which originated in the commandment Christ gave after washing the feet of his disciples the day before Good Friday.
Historically, this sum of £5.50 in the red purse 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.
Eugenie wore a Erdem dress with navy accessories for the service. She finished off her outfit with a navy hat, with plait detailing
The monarch looked overjoyed to be at the service in Windsor, and was joined by her granddaughter Princess Eugenie and was joined by children from Holy Family Catholic School, in Berkshire
The royals posed for photographs in the sun after the service with schoolchildren from Holy Family Catholic School in Berkshire. It is the first time Princess Eugenie has attended the annual service with her grandmother
The Red Purse contains a £5 coin, commemorating the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth and a 50p coin portraying Sherlock Holmes.
The White Purse contains uniquely minted Maundy Money, which, unlike coins in general circulation, bear the portrait of the Queen produced by Mary Gillick at the start of her reign.
Gillick, a sculptor, designed the portrait which appeared on the coins of the UK and some Commonwealth countries from 1953 until preparations for decimalisation began in 1968.
The portrait of the Queen wearing a wreath on her head was considered to reflect the nation’s optimism as it greeted a new monarch in the post-war years.
This year, the money in the White Purse includes 1, 2, 3 and 4 silver penny pieces.
The royals posed for pictures in the spring sun after the annual Royal Maundy service in Windsor today
The Queen is joined by Princess Eugenie today, who married her husband Jack Brooksbank in St George’s Chapel at Windsor
Princess Eugenie has worn the gorgeous floral Erdem dress in the past to the Royal Ascot, as well as to a UN meeting (above)
The history of the monarchs and the Maundy Thursday service
The first monarch to take part in a Maundy Thursday service was King John, of Magna Carta and Robin Hood fame, who distributed gifts of clothes and money to the poor in Knaresborough in 1210.
John was also the first to present the poor with silver coins and is recorded as having done so in Rochester in 1213.
John’s grandson Edward I, the king known to posterity as ‘the Hammer of the Scots’, was the first to confine the tradition to Maundy Thursday alone, which, until his reign, could be conducted on any day of the year.
By 1363 and Edward III, the tradition had evolved into a ceremony that is still recognisable today, with monarchs handing out money equivalent to their age in years.
The ceremony was little changed by the dawn of the Tudor period, although rulers could – and did – increase the number of beggars involved to show their religious devotion and humility.
None took it more seriously than Mary I – or Bloody Mary – who in 1556 washed the feet of 41 ‘poor women’ and spent the entire ceremony on her knees.
Later monarchs were less keen on the service, with some, among them Charles I, rarely bothering to take part.
Charles II, anxious to curry favour with his subjects following the Restoration, took part in the ceremony without fail, including during the plague years.
Although today’s ceremony takes place in a different location each year, Queen Victoria insisted on doing it at Westminster Abbey – a custom that remained in place until the Queen took the throne in 1952.
The Queen was just eight years old when she first attended the Maundy Day service as Princess Elizabeth in 1935 at Westminster Abbey
She has taken part in the Royal Maundy Service in all but four years of her reign, including in 1954 when she was away touring the Commonwealth.
In 1960 she was also forced to pull out because of the imminent birth of Prince Andrew, again in 1964 for the birth of Prince Edward and in 1970 due to a tour of New Zealand.