In the context of the English monarchy and the Great Officers of State, the Royal Maundy is a solemn ritual derived from the Mandatum, or the new commandment given by Christ at the Last Supper to love one another and to perform acts of humility. Historically, the ceremony involved the Sovereign, or occasionally high-ranking nobles acting as proxies, personally washing the feet of a number of poor subjects equal to the years of the monarch's age. This act of 'pedilavium' served as a public demonstration of Christian humility and feudal obligation, effectively bridging the social hierarchy between the divinely appointed ruler and the lowest echelon of the commons.
Over the centuries, the physical washing of feet was substituted by the distribution of Maundy Money—specifically minted silver groats, threepences, twopences, and pennies. These are presented in white and red leather purses, symbolizing food, clothing, and the monarch's direct charity. The ceremony is overseen by the Lord High Almoner and is a rare surviving example of pre-Reformation liturgical piety integrated into the post-Reformation Anglican state. It reaffirms the monarch's role as 'Defender of the Faith' and their paternalistic duty within the traditional feudal order.