MAUNDY Thursday has been celebrated since the earliest days of the Christian Church.
CommandmentThe word Maundy is derived from the Latin word "mandatum", meaning commandment.
It refers to Christ's commandment at the Last Supper to love one another, before he washed the feet of his disciples.
There are continued records of the distribution having been made on Maundy Thursday from the reign of King Edward the First.
Foot washingEven though the act of washing the feet seems to have been discontinued about 1730, the Lord High Almoner and his assistants are still girded with linen towels in remembrance.
From the middle ages, the number of recipients mirrors the sovereign's years.
At one time recipients were required to be of the same sex as the Sovereign, but this tradition was broken in the eighteenth century.
PensionersRecipients are now pensioners selected because of the Christian service they have rendered to the Church and the community.
The Queen today presented Maundy Thursday alms purses to 164 people - 82 men and 82 women.
They come from all over Northern Ireland and are deemed to have made a significant contribution to church or community life.
SymbolsThe distribution of the alms comes in two parts.
The red purse contains an allowance for clothing and provisions formerly given in kind and a payment for the redemption of the royal gown.
The white purse contains in Maundy coins silver pennies, twopences, threepences, and fourpences, equal to the sovereign's years of age.
GuardsThe Queen's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard (the "Indoor guard") also plays an important part in the Service.
It is the oldest Military Corps in existence, having been created in 1485 by King Henry VII.
In earlier times the ceremony was observed wherever the Sovereign was in residence.
For many years the Maundy Gifts were distributed in the old Chapel Royal (now the Banqueting Hall) in Whitehall.
But from 1890 to 1952 the service was held at Westminster Abbey.
During the present reign the function has been held at Westminster Abbey 15 times.
Queen in historic Maundy serviceDeserving OAPs speak of honourSecurity alert for ceremony
