Specially minted silver coins distributed by the British sovereign on Maundy Thursday. The number of recipients and the face value in pence of the amount they each receive traditionally correspond to the number of years in the sovereign's age.
As the 158 pensioners who were given Maundy money by the Queen in a traditional Holy Week ceremony made their way to a celebration lunch, their smiles said it all.
The Queen went to her Collegiate Church of St Peter in Westminster, better known as Westminster Abbey, yesterday and distributed the Royal Maundy money… thereby continuing a custom which was begun in Yorkshire 791 years ago.
Today the Queen handed out Maundy money to 76 male and 76 female pensioners at Caterbury Cathedral.
Today the Queen will hand out Maundy money to 78 male and 78 female pensioners at Liverpool Cathedral.
Born in Crosby in Merseyside and educated at Liverpool College, the 60-year-old father-of-two holds the post of Lord High Almoner, responsible for distributing the Queen's Maundy money.