2020 MAUNDY CEREMONY CORONAVIRUS CANCELLATION

The Queen has been forced to break with centuries of tradition by sending her Maundy money to the elderly by post amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Every year on the day before Good Friday, the Monarch presents elderly members of the Church of England with special 'Maundy' coins.

These specially minted pieces are almost always handed out to worshippers over 70, nominated by local dioceses for their contributions to the church and the community.

But today they have been delivered by Royal Mail instead of by the Queen herself, who is isolating at Windsor, to protect them all from the deadly virus.

The eldest of this year's 188 recipients is Thomas Brock, from Sunbury-on-Thames, who holds the title of oldest active bellringer in the world.

He began ringing at his local church, St Mary's at the age of just seven and has only ever missed services during the Second World War, when he was a prisoner of war.

The Queen said she was 'deeply disappointed' at not being able to meet the 188 in person.

The monarch has written to those she would have presented with symbolic money during the annual Royal Maundy service.

The tradition stretches back to the 1600s and has been observed every year, even in times of war.

During the Second World War, either the Queen's father King George VI or the Archbishop of Canterbury did the honours.

To read the complete article, see:
Queen breaks with centuries of tradition to send Maundy money by Royal Mail instead of handing it out personally to this year's 188 recipients including the world's oldest bell-ringer, aged 101 (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8204103/Queen-forced-send-Maundy-money-post-Royal-Mail-coronavirus-breaking-tradition.html)

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