Great Britain’s Sovereign turned 85 years today. On her birthday, the Queen will attend the Maundy Thursday service at Westminster Abbey, The Telegraph writes.
On this occasion the station operators of BBC1, which will broadcast live the ceremony, will test the equipment for the event that will take place in eight days, Prince William’s wedding with his fiancée Kate Middleton. This is the first time in ten years when Thursday Easter services – Maundy Service – takes place at Westminster Abbey.
Also today, the queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, will give money, “Maundy Money”, a tradition in Britain, to a group of elderly.
The money will be divided to a number of 85 women and 85 men, all retired, invited to the ceremony in recognition for the work in the church and community service.
A birthday, two anniversaries
Each of them will get two wallets – one red and one white. The red containing a £5 coin marking the 90th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh in June and a 50 pence for the London Olympics in 2012.
In the white wallet there will be silver coins with values of 1, 2, 3 and 4 pence, with the sum equivalent to queen’s age.
Queen’s birthday is celebrated twice a year, particularly on April 21, the Queen’s real birthday, and again formally in June, at the national level.