As English monarchs have done since the 12th century, the Queen gave out silver coins to the crowd after attending the Maundy Thursday service in Guildford Cathedral today.

The ceremony on the Thursday before Easter focuses on Jesus's washing of the feet of the twelve disciples before the Last Supper. Centuries ago, the Queen would have actually washed some feet. Today, with a nod to her forthcoming birthday, she contented herself with handing out the traditional Maundy money to 80 men and 80 women after the service.

The 160 recipients, all aged 70 and over and selected from congregations within the Guildford diocese, were given two purses each: one containing 80 pence in Maundy coins and a second purse holding a £5 coin marking the Queen’s 80th birthday and a 50 pence coin to commemorate 150 years of the Victoria Cross.

In return, the Queen received nosegays of flowers, given to soften what, in centuries past, would have been the foul whiff rising from the feet of the poor.

Among those chosen to receive Maundy coins was Bill Matthews, an 84-year-old former airman with Bomber Command who went on to run a centre for disabled children.

"I just said ‘Thank you Your Majesty’. I have never been to a do like this before," he said.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who read the account of of Jesus's washing of the feet from John xiii, added to the delight of a crowd of around 4,000 people by hoisting children over the metal barriers to let them give their flowers directly to the Queen.

Three-year-old Lottie Broughton was picked up by the Duke and carried over to the Queen to wish her happy birthday. Afterwards, her mother, Mariska, said: "I’m just completely made up and will remind Lottie about this day forever. I could just cry I’m so happy."

In Kent, the Archishop of Canterbury continued the tradition of washing the feet of the congregation during his Maundy Thursday service. Monarchs used to wash the feet of the poor but the habit died out in the 1730s. Until 2003, the practice had not been observed in Canterbury since the mid-16th century, but it has been revived by Rowan Williams, the current Archbishop.

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