Royal Maundy

Beefeaters herald the arrival of the Queen at Chichester Cathedral, where she will distribute the Royal Maundy Money.

It's Maundy Thursday and the cathedral city of Chichester prepares for a visit from the Queen. Security men are seen checking the route to the Cathedral prior to the arrival of the Royal Train, while crowds line the city's streets. Beefeaters, in scarlet, march into the Cathedral followed by the Queen herself, accompanied by Bishop Eric Kemp and other dignitaries. Following the service, Her Majesty meets the people of Chichester during a walkabout through the city.

Each Maundy Thursday, in a ceremony dating from the 15th century and with roots in the narrative of the Last Supper, the reigning monarch gives Maundy coins, equal in number to his or her age, to a similar number of male and female pensioners from the diocese where the ceremony takes place. These specially minted coins are given in recognition of the work of the chosen pensioners in their local churches and communities.