Posts Tagged ‘Queen Elizabeth’
Prince Charles represents Her Majesty at this year’s Royal Maundy Service
Believed to only be the fifth time during Her Majesty’s reign, Queen Elizabeth II has not attended this year’s Royal Maundy Service.
For the first time, Prince Charles has represented her in this duty at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor in the annual tradition.
The annual Royal Maundy service—where the monarch distributes Maundy money to retired pensioners on the Thursday before Easter—has been a staple in the Queen’s calendar since she ascended to the throne in 1952.
However, in 2020, considered to be for the first time ever, the ancient tradition of the Royal Maundy ceremony was cancelled. Centuries of tradition were overturned as one of the Church of England’s most archaic ceremonies was unable to take place due to the Queen being in isolation at Windsor Castle.
The same happened in 2021, with the Royal Maundy ceremony being cancelled for the second year in a row.
Today, Prince Charles distributed the Maundy money, a £5 coin and a 50p coin portraying the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee for the red purse, and uniquely minted Maundy money to the value of 96p for the white purse. The Prince was accompanied by his wife Camilla at the engagement.
This year, there are 96 men and 96 women—one for each of the years the Queen has been alive (she turns 96 on April 21) who have received this gift. The senior citizens selected will each receive two purses, one red and one white.
The History of Royal Maundy
Maundy Thursday is a key day during the Easter week which commemorates Jesus Christ’s last supper on the day before his crucifixion.
The Royal Maundy Church service takes place each year on this day, and is inspired by the generosity shown by Jesus in washing the feet of his disciples shortly before his death.
Its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when English monarchs would wash the feet of beggars and offer gifts of food and clothing in imitation of Jesus.
However it was King John who was the first to give to the poor on Maundy Thursday and by the early 14th century, it had become customary for the sovereign to provide a meal, together with gifts of food and clothing.
Sharing the Wealth
For numismatists, the day has added significance in the form of Maundy money which is given out by the reigning monarch each year at the service.
The tradition of giving out money began with Charles II, with the first set of Maundy coins consisting of a four penny, three penny, two penny and a penny. The coins have remained in much the same form since then, and are traditionally struck in sterling silver.
At the Royal Maundy ceremony, the reigning monarch hands each recipient two small leather string purses – one white, one red. The red purse contains ordinary coinage as money (in lieu of the food and clothing which was offered years ago) and the white contains silver Maundy coins.
The Maundy coins total the age of the King or Queen in pence, so this year, as the Queen approaches her 96th birthday, each white purse will contain 96 pence.
Recognition of Service
Nowadays it is not the poor who are the recipients of this gift, but specially chosen members of the public in recognition of the service they have given to the Church and local community.
The number of men and women receiving Maundy Money also equals the age of the sovereign during the year, and since the reign of George I, the recipients have been an equal number of men and women. For example, this year 192 recipients will receive the Maundy coins – 96 men and 96 women.
The tradition and heritage behind Maundy money makes them among the most sought-after coins in British numismatic history. Their owners are part of an exclusive club which dates back centuries, and they still exemplify the generosity and selfless work of the Church during this week – the most important in the Christian calendar.
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70 Years of our Queen! All you need to know about the events and initiatives marking the Platinum Jubilee in 2022…
On this day in 1952, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor, acceded the throne, making her only the eighth Queen to rule England, Scotland and then later, the United Kingdom.
Now, 70 years on, our Queen is marking her Platinum Jubilee – the only British monarch in history to do so! Her Majesty has been a constant during an ever-changing Britain over the last 70 years, and it’s fantastic that her achievements are being celebrated all throughout 2022!
At Change Checker HQ, we’ve been celebrating Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee with the issue of the UK’s FIRST Royal 50p!
This 50p was first issued as part of the Annual Coin Set, with a reverse design by London Based Design Agency, Osborne Ross, and the fifth portrait of Her Majesty by Jody Clark on the obverse.
Excitingly this brand new 50p has been confirmed to enter circulation on the 7th February! With an initial 1.3 million being circulated from Post Offices on this date, The Royal Mint have confirmed that a maximum of 5,000,070 could be issued based on demand!
And, there’s even a very special collector quality version of this coin too, featuring an obverse design of Her Majesty on horseback, which is a first for the UK 50p!
Designed by John Bergdahl, this 50p’s obverse design pays homage to the original 1953 Coronation Crown, the first to show Queen Elizabeth II on horseback.
If you’re yet to secure this coin for your collection, you can do so in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, for JUST £4.99 (+p&p). Simply click here >>
And to continue our celebrations, Change Checker are also back on tour, with this brand new coin! On the road to the Platinum Jubilee weekend in June, we’re going to giving YOU the chance to swap any 50p for this brand new Platinum Jubilee 50p in Brilliant Uncirculated quality!
Starting our tour in Westgate Shopping Centre, Oxford, on the 24th February, we’ll be bringing 1,952 coins with us for you to swap, in tribute to Her Majesty’s coronation year.
To find out all the details, click here >>
But there’s lots of fun events and activities happening all up and down the country in the run up to the Platinum Jubilee weekend in June.
Including:
- The Queen’s Green Canopy, a unique tree planting initiative, which invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.
- The Platinum Jubilee Pudding Competition, where the public are invited to create their own Jubilee pudding, with the winning pud being part of Her Majesty’s celebrations!
- The Queen’s Birthday Parade or otherwise known as Trooping the Colour, where over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will come together in the traditional Parade to mark The Queen’s official birthday, usually held on the second Saturday in June.
- Over 1,500 Platinum Jubilee Beacons will also be lit to mark the Platinum Jubilee, throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories.
- The Platinum Party at the Palace will be staged and broadcasted by the BBC on Saturday 4th June, featuring some of the world’s biggest entertainment starts.
- On Sunday 5th June, streets up and the country can take part in the Big Jubilee lunch, which encourages communities to celebrate their connections!
- And of course, we’ve also been treated to an extended Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th of June!
This is just a small handful of the fun activities and initiatives that will be celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. How will you be celebrating? Let us know in the comments below!
Secure the brand new 2022 UK Platinum Jubilee 50p for your collection!
Your 2022 Platinum Jubilee 50p has been struck to a superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality.
An absolute must-have for collectors, order today to own the UK’s FIRST ROYAL 50p, including the special obverse design!
The UK’s FIRST Royal 50p – JUST ISSUED!
The day has finally arrived… The UK’s FIRST Royal 50p has JUST been issued! And, it’s got a very special obverse design – NEVER-before-seen on a 50p…
The 2022 UK Platinum Jubilee 50p is arguably the most significant coin of a lifetime, celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s incredible 70 years of service to the crown.
We’re so excited to bring you all of the important details, as well giving you the chance to secure it for your collections!
Keep reading to find out more…
2022 UK Platinum Jubilee 50p
2022 sees Her Majesty become the first monarch in British history to reach her Platinum Jubilee, so it’s only fitting that this moment has been captured for the very first time on the UK’s most collected coin!
And, this UK first also features new designs on BOTH the reverse and obverse!
Experienced coin artist John Bergdahl has created a stunning commemorative Jubilee portrait of Her Majesty on horseback, which is reminiscent of previous jubilee designs, including the 1953 coronation crown!
Created by design agency Osborne Ross, the reverse features the number 70 in a striking centralized design, with the dates 1952 and 2022, beneath The Queen’s royal cypher.
I’m sure you’ll agree that this coin is one of the most exciting issues we’ve ever seen.
We’ve never-before-seen a UK 50p mark such a significant event and it’s only right that the UK’s first royal 50p, should feature such an exciting design.
This is also the first time that we’ve ever seen the portrait of Her Majesty on horseback feature on the 50p!
This is an absolute MUST-HAVE for collectors. If you need reminding why, here are my 3 top reasons to add this coin to your collection:
- This is the UK’s FIRST royal 50p – making it a numismatic first
- For the first time on the 50p, we’ve seen the portrait of Her Majesty on horseback feature on the obverse design
- Her Majesty is the FIRST British Monarch to reach her Platinum Jubilee – a milestone few of us will see again.
Secure your Platinum Jubilee 50p for JUST £4.50 (+p&p) by clicking here >>
2022 UK Platinum Jubilee £5
As the perfect accompaniment to this stunning new 50p, The Royal Mint have also issued a brand new £5 coin to celebrate Her Majesty’s Jubilee.
Set to rival the collecting frenzy of the Queen’s first Jubilee Crown released in 1977, this brand new release features a design created especially for collectors.
In 1977, Her Majesty celebrated 25 years on the throne – her Silver Jubilee and the first of her reign. The Royal Mint issued this commemorative crown. The coin’s reverse design is focused upon the Coronation theme and features the Ampulla and anointing spoon from the Royal regalia surrounded by a heraldic floral pattern and the Crown.
The coin’s obverse takes inspiration from the 1953 Coronation Crown, showing a newly designed image of the Queen on horseback.
Unusually, this coin does not feature an edge inscription or date on its reverse, making it the only crown of its kind at the time of issue. It was also one of the last crowns to be issued with a face value of 25 pence (commemorative crowns issued after 1990 have a face value of £5), which makes it continually sought-after among collectors!
Reminiscent of the 1953 Coronation Crown, the 2022 Platinum Jubilee £5 features a special obverse design of the Queen riding on horseback – only found on the individual release of this coin!
The reverse design by John Bergdahl includes the Queen’s garter robes in a fitting tribute to her 70 years upon the throne.
As you’d expect with such a stunning issue, this coin will come struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality, protectively encapsulated in Official Change Checker packaging.
The UK’s FIRST Royal 50p – secure the most in-demand coin of our lifetime!
Secure the brand new 2022 UK Platinum Jubilee 50p for your collection for JUST £4.50 (+p&p).