Royal recognition for Mary's years of service

Former RGS teacher and boarding housemistress Mary Steel was honoured to be chosen to receive Maundy Money, ceremonial coins distributed by the British monarch and linked to service and charity. She tells us her story

I LEFT RGS in 1987 to take up a deputy headship in Hertfordshire and then four years later I was appointed headmistress of Howell’s School, Denbigh, in North Wales.

Seven years later, I took up my second headship of Abbots Bromley School in Staffordshire, and when I retired seven years later, I decided to return home to Wales, where I joined the wonderful church community in Llandyrnog, Denbighshire.

I also decided it was time to learn Welsh again and this time, try to become fluent as my dad was. I’m not quite there but I keep trying and the community have really helped me along.

I have several roles within the church and there is always something to do, so life is busy. I lead services and do a lot of the administrative work which no-one really wants to do but it has to be done! Sometimes it feels as if it goes unnoticed but perhaps not!

Imagine my surprise when in early February a letter postmarked Buckingham Palace dropped through my letterbox! I was even more astonished when I read the letter, which informed me that I had been nominated to receive the Maundy Money from the King at the annual Maundy Thursday service, which, this year, was to be held in the Cathedral in St Asaph.

This was only the second time that the service has been held in Wales and the first time in North Wales, so it was very special. Each year the monarch gives Maundy Money to people in recognition of their service to the church and the community and the number of recipients is the same as the monarch’s age so this year there were 77 women and 77 men.

The distribution of alms and the washing of the feet on Maundy Thursday are very ancient and the Royal Maundy can be traced back to the 13th century, when King John, on the 15 April 1210 donated garments, forks, food, and other gifts to the poor of Knaresborough.

Each recipient receives two purses, one white and one red. The purses are made from deer hides sourced from Windsor Great Park and Balmoral. The red purse this year contains a £5 coin commemorating 100 years since the birth of Queen Elizabeth II and a 50p coin commemorating the 50th anniversary of the King’s Trust. The white purse contains uniquely minted silver Maundy Money in the form of one, two, three and four penny pieces, adding up to 77 pennies.

From the outset, all the correspondence which came was very reassuring. It stressed that the most important thing was that recipients should feel comfortable and enjoy their day and it was just the same when we arrived at the cathedral. We had to go through security before being allowed into the grounds but, although vigilant, everyone was very friendly. We were to arrive at about 9am and the doors would be closed at 10.15 although the service wasn’t due to start until 11am. I thought it would seem like a long time but there was always something happening, from the assembling of the Yeomen of the Guard to simply people-watching!

Before the service the Lord High Almoner explained to us what would happen. Despite his grand title he was very down-to-earth and made everyone laugh. He advised us that when the King presented us with the money, it was enough to say thank you; we did not need to give him anything in return. Apparently one year a lady gave the Queen a rather sticky jar of marmalade!

The King came round and presented the purses to all the recipients and he said a few words of thanks to everyone. It was really relaxed and very personal and the King smiled and laughed a lot and genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself!

The service was lovely and the music was especially beautiful and it was so good to see some local young musicians performing before and after the service. The King had requested that as much of the music as possible should be by Welsh composers and one of the readings and one hymn were in Welsh. The whole service booklet was bilingual and so I learned a few new words which I hadn’t come across before! For example: Gwastrawd is Equerry and then there’s Ceidwad y Closed – the Keeper of the Closet. I wonder what his job entails!

All too soon the service was over and once the processions had left the cathedral it was time to go home, but not before I’d given a very brief interview to BBC Wales. Fame at last!

It was a wonderful occasion and very special to receive a personal gift from the King, but for me the real honour was in being nominated and it is a memory I shall always cherish.