female recipients at Westminster Abbey for the Royal Maundy service attended by Her Majesty, and two purses of «Maundy money» were given to 85 men and 85 women - a white purse containing 85p in Maundy coins and a red purse containing? 5 coin and 50p piece. coins have remained in much the same form since 1670. They have traditionally been struck in sterling silver, except for the brief interruptions of Henry «s Vlll» s debasement of the coinage and the general change to 50% silver coins in 1920. The sterling silver standard was resumed following the Coinage Act of 1946. In 1971, when decimalisation took place, the face values ??of the coins were increased from old to new pence. The effigy of The Queen on ordinary circulating coinage has undergone three changes, but Maundy coins still bear the same portrait of Her Majesty prepared by Mary Gillick for the first coins issued in the year of her coronation in 1953. The Royal Maundy Service used to take place in London, but early in her reign the Queen decided that the service should take place at a different venue every year.
The Ceremony of the Keys
The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London <# «justify"> All four men walk to the Bloody Tower archway and up towards the broadwalk steps where the main Guard is drawn up. The Chief Yeoman Warder and escort halt at the foot of the steps and the officer in charge gives the command to the Guard and escort to present arms.Chief Yeoman Warder moves two paces forward, raises his Tudor bonnet high in the air and calls « God preserve Queen Elizabeth. » The guard answers «Amen» exactly as the clock chimes 10pm (22.00) and «The Duty Drummer» sounds The Last Post on his bugle. The Chief Yeoman Warder takes the keys back to the Queen's House and the Guard is dismissed.Week
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh undertake a variety of engagements in Scotland each year - usually from the end of June to the beginning of July-to celebrate Scottish culture, history and achievement. The event is known as «Holyrood Week» and includes traditional engagements such as the Ceremony of the Keys and an Investiture and Garden Party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse <# «justify"> The State Opening of Parliament
The State Opening of Parliament is the most colourful event of the Parliamentary year. It is also the most important, because it brings together the three elements of the legislature (the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Queen). The ceremony therefore represents the Crown in Parliament.Head of State, it is the duty of the Queen formally to open each new session of Parliament. Her Majesty has opened Parliament on 58 occasions and has only missed two during her reign. The first time was in 1959 when she was pregnant with Prince Andrew and the second in 1963 when she was expecting Prince Edward.ceremony traditionally takes place in October, November or December each year, but sometimes in a different month if a General Election has taken place. Before the Queen travels to Parliament from Buckingham Palace, certain traditional precautions are observed. A detachment of The Queen «s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard searches the cellars of the Houses of Parliament.tradition dates back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Guy Fawkes was arrested whilst preparing to blow up Parliament. Today, the Yeomen of the Guard continue this historic search, in addition to the s...
