Maundy Thursday has several themes including feet washing, institution of the Eucharist, watching with Christ and arrest.

At the distribution of the Royal Maundy, this morning at Windsor, the Queen will be accompanied by clergy and children wearing towels. This is a reminder that once the monarch not only gave out money but washed feet as Christ did today.

In church tonight the celebrant will wash feet during the Mass of the Last Supper.

Afterwards there is procession of the Blessed Sacrament to a flower decorated altar representing the Garden of Gethsemane.

In large cities one can walk from church to church visiting the Gethsemane focus. In the London the most garden-like is at St Peter’s Italian Church in Clerkenwell.

The Watch ends at midnight when Christ was betrayed and arrested.

He was taken to Caiaphas’ house now rebuilt as the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu.

Gallicantu means cock crow recalling Peter’s triple rejection of Jesus “before the cock crows twice” on that site during the early hours of Good Friday.