THE QUEEN

HOW SHE IS BEING SUPPORTED BY PRINCESS ANNE AS THEY STEP UP TO CONTINUE ROYAL DUTIES

- TRACY SCHAVERIEN

With the King still scaling back his public duties, the Queen once again held the fort during a busy week of royal engagements – making history in the process.

Her Majesty, together with her sister-in-law the Princess Royal, has impressively taken the helm over the past two months, during which time both the King and the Princess of Wales have had to deal with cancer diagnoses.

She represented the King once more before Easter, this time at the annual Royal Maundy service, held at Worcester Cathedral, where crowds were waiting outside to greet her. 

They were rewarded with a walkabout, during which Her Majesty shook hands and chatted.

“Thank you for coming on a horrible day,” one woman told her.

TAKING PART IN TRADITION

The ceremony, which dates back to medieval times, traditionally sees the monarch handing out Maundy money to pensioners in recognition of their service to the church and to the local community.

This year, however, a royal consort performed the ancient ritual for the first time, with the Queen giving the coins, which are specially minted in various denominations, to 75 men and 75 women, with the number signifying the age of the monarch.

Her Majesty also paid a touching tribute to her late mother-in-law on her cream cashmere Fiona Clare coat, wearing one of Elizabeth II’s gold and sapphire flower brooches on each lapel.