Elizabeth II's First Public Engagement -- The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh descend the steps of the Abbey flanked by Yeomen of the guard. (Beefeaters) Note that the posies tradition on this occasion are carried. Her Majesty the Queen performed the first public engagement of her reign when she distributed the Royal Maundy in Westminster Abbey this morning. Every Maundy Thursday a number of men and women receive the Maundy pence which are specially minted for the occasion. The number of pence each receives and the number of recipients are both by tradition equal to the number of years the Monarch has attained. To-day the number ***** 26, the smallest since the early years of Queen Victoria's Reign. April 10, 1952. (Photo by Paul Popper).