War hero

VICTOR HOTCHEN said he could not wait to get his new suit on for today's service.

The 84-year-old from Larne has never met the Queen before and hopes "she brings good weather" with her on her visit.

Born in the Sandringham area, Victor cannot believe his good fortune at being included in the Maundy recipients.

"When I go back to where I came from in Norfolk, I never thought I would meet the Queen.

"It came out of the blue."

Mr Hotchen first heard about participating in the Maundy ceremony, when his local minister forwarded the pensioner's profile.

Excitement then grew when he received the letter from Buckingham Palace.
Victor started work at the age of 14 as a butcher boy, before he was called up to join the Royal Navy where he fought in the Battle of the Atlantic – "the biggest battle in the Royal Navy".

Fighting during WWII won him three medals including the 1939-45 Atlantic Medal.

"My medals are all cleaned up and shiny," said Victor, adding he thought it was "wonderful" the Queen was coming to visit.

After the war, Victor went minesweeping in China before returning to Larne with his wife whom he met during the war.

He has lived in Northern Ireland for 62 years and has a son and a daughter, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He has tried his hand at everything from selling furniture to working in the Ballygally Hotel. He did "anything to make ends meet" and worked until the age of 71.

Despite being registered blind, Victor manages to get out and about everyday – his son takes him for drives to Carrickfergus.

He is also an avid fan of country and western music.

He believes he is as prepared as he can be for the ceremony.

"We had to go down a fortnight ago for the rehearsal where there was two-and-a-half hours of talk, talk, talk."

Victor's daughter will accompany him to the ceremony – each Maundy Money recipient is allowed only one family member.

And even though the war veteran is ready to take part, he says he would be "surprised" if the Queen spoke to him.

Family woman

EDITH STEVENSON, who lives at Derryadd outside Lurgan, will celebrate her 92nd birthday at the end of the month - and says the Maundy money is the best present she's ever got.

The Co Armagh woman was nominated for the award by her minister, Elizabeth Cairns, who described her as a "very deserving member of the community".

And when you listen to the story of Edith's life, it's clear this is no understatement.

She was just 27 when her mother died from cancer, and as the eldest girl in a family of 11 children, responsibility for the day-to-day running of their Derryadd home fell to her.

She literally filled the shoes of her late mother and became a full-time carer.

As her youngest sister Winnie McLoughlin explained, their father, like many fathers in those days, "didn't really concern himself too much about the family".

So Edith quietly got on with helping to care for the family, in between keeping hens, making butter and attending church. And she didn't shirk her responsibilities.

"I didn't like it, but somebody had to do it. My father had to work,"she said candidly.

"There would have been nobody to take them to school. I resented it at the time but it had to be done."

In line with her modest nature, when a letter arrived from the Queen inviting Edith to be a recipient of Maundy Money, it came as a great surprise.

And Edith, humbly, almost refused to go, until her family persuaded her that she should.

"I told her it would be an absolute insult to Her Royal Highness not to
go," smiled Winnie.

And so Edith's best blue outfit was hunted out of the wardrobe and today, accompanied by her cousin Louise, she will meet the Queen and receive her award.

"I had no say in it. I am a bit excited but I hope I can stand the stress of it all, it will be a strenuous day," she admitted.

"I've never met the Queen but I do like her. All our family are great royalists."

She said that she would certainly never part with the coinage for the rest of her life.

And all the family – and her church – will be crowding round their TV sets this morning to watch her in pride.

Queen in historic Maundy service

History of Sovereign tradition

Security alert for ceremony