Maundy Money has been distributed by English monarchs on the Thursday before Easter since at least the 13th century, though the modern sealed-purse format dates to 1662. Charles III's accession in September 2022 made the April 2023 Maundy service at York Minster his first as sovereign — the first new Maundy portrait in seventy years. Recipients, one man and one woman for each year of the monarch's age, receive sets totalling the same number of pence, meaning the 4p piece is functionally inseparable from the complete ceremonial set.
Maundy Money has been distributed by English monarchs on the Thursday before Easter since at least the 13th century, though the modern sealed-purse format dates to 1662. Charles III's accession in September 2022 made the April 2023 Maundy service at York Minster his first as sovereign — the first new Maundy portrait in seventy years. Recipients, one man and one woman for each year of the monarch's age, receive sets totalling the same number of pence, meaning the 4p piece is functionally inseparable from the complete ceremonial set.