In The Royal Manner by Paul Burrell Read Free Book Online Page A

to be washed at the Royal Court.
Today the Queen distributes Maundy money to an equal number of men and women appropriate to her age. Each person is presented with a purse containing Maundy Money. These have a monetary value in pence - one, two, three or four pence pieces totalling the age of the sovereign. The coins are legal tender, but the majority are kept as treasured possessions. If they are sold, their antiquarian value far outweighs the monetary one.
The ceremony had always been held in Westminster Abbey, but in 1953 this was closed for the Coronation so the ceremony was transferred elsewhere. From that time, Westminster Abbey has alternated as a venue with another cathedral. The Queen and the clergy carry posies, a reminder that they were once carried in the belief that they would ward off the plague. The clergy wear white garments and cam-a towel over one shoulder, the last reminder that the ceremony's origins lie in washing the feet.
    EASTER
     
Easter is the most important of all the Christian festivals. Who would have thought that the death of a carpenter's son from Galilee nearly two thousand years ago would have had such a profound influence on mankind, and today we are still celebrating his life which for many unites the world.
When we think of the Last Supper, we are reminded of a celebration around one table, where Christ's most trusted friends gathered to share a meal together. So whether your celebrations this Easter are a formal lunch, a special tea or a casual buffet, your dining table will be the central element for your meal and gifts.
Cover your table with a white linen or embroidered cloth, over which you could spread a smaller lace or crocheted ‘runner’ down the centre of the table. Make a centrepiece of spring flowers either in a planted display or as a fresh arrangement of cut flowers.
For many, the main gift at this time of year is an egg. It symbolizes a new life and is a sign of a new beginning, as winter is over and spring flowers bloom.
In China, an egg was given as a temple offering after the birth of a child; in ancient Greece and Rome, it was placed in tombs with the dead to indicate the continuance of life after death. As such, it was adopted by Christianity as a symbol of the resurrection of Christ.
Painted eggs have been traditional gifts for many years all over the world – red eggs were thought to he particularly auspicious is they depicted fire and an increasingly powerful sun. Christianity accepted eggs of this colour as representing the blood shed by Christ on the cross. Coloured eggs were known as pace eggs. In 1 290 the household accounts for Edward I record a request for 450 to be coloured and given at Easter.
In Victorian England, hard-boiled eggs were painted and rolled down the hills in country villages to symbolize the stone which was rolled away from Christ's tomb.
The first chocolate eggs seem to have been made in France, and the custom first came to England in the 19th century, when the Victorians decorated eggs with velvets and satins at Easter. The British chocolate makers, Frys, produced their first chocolate egg for sale in 1873, Cadbury in 1875, and Rowntree in 1904.
Towards the end of the 19th century, Carl Faberge, the Russian Imperial Crown Jeweller, designed a range of elegant ornamental eggs encrusted with precious jewels. The eggs were given by members of the Imperial Family as Easter gifts. Inside the eggs were hidden surprises like delicate representations of seasonal flowers and miniature portraits of the Royal Family. Many of these eggs are housed in museums in Russia, but it is Queen Elizabeth who owns the largest private collection of Faberge eggs in the world.
    HISTORY OF WINDSOR CASTLE
     
This is the most impressive and historic of the three official residences of the Sovereign. It was built as a fortress as well as a home, and the foundations were established by William the Conqueror. He regularly held court in the Castle from 1070.
The Castle's