Maundy Money

The elderly of Westminster are the grinning beneficiaries of royal charity on Maundy Thursday.

An exclusive peek at the Beefeaters, in full regalia, preparing to greet Queen Alexandra at Westminster Abbey. Newsreel companies like Topical Budget relied on a steady supply of predictable calendar customs and annual events; in this case, the provision of royal charity to the elderly on the day before Good Friday. Inevitably, there are no scenes of the service itself, but Topical does a great job of capturing the grinning pensioners, happy beneficiaries of this long-standing tradition.