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It could have been worse. She could have found herself washing 160 pairs of smelly feet.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II takes her public appearances very seriously, and as she prepares for her 80th birthday next Friday, she shows no sign of tiring of them, or the traditions that underpin them.
Take this week in Guildford, population 70,000, about an hour by commuter train southwest of London -- the very picture of an affluent English market town, with nary a republican in sight.
She came to pay a day trip on the eve of Good Friday, fulfilling an annual pre-Easter rite, one that dates back to the 12th century.
In a woven cream ensemble with matching hat, she doled out Maundy money -- little white sacks of freshly minted commemorative coins worth all of 80 pence (1.15 euros, 1.40 dollars).
Eighty men and 80 women -- one for each of the queen's years -- converged in Guildford's hilltop cathedral to receive the symbolic alms-giving. Most were in their 80s; the oldest was a lady aged 94.
"I just said 'Thank you, your majesty'," said World War II veteran Bill Matthews, 84, clearly gobsmacked by the occasion. "I have never been to a do like this before."
Mercifully for the queen, one element of Maundy Thursday tradition -- cleaning the feet of the recipients, as Jesus Christ did with his disciples before his crucifixion -- has been off the to-do list since the early 18th century.
She did, however, get plenty of nosegays -- little bouquets of fragrant flowers intended to mask unseemly foot odours.
From the cathedral, Queen Elizabeth and consort Prince Philip descended into Guildford town centre to indulge in their own contribution to royal tradition -- the walkabout.
Best described as a carefully choreographed show of spontaneity, it was introduced during a royal tour to New Zealand in 1970 as a way to hob-nob and chit-chat with common folk.
In Guildford, a hardcore few turned up three hours early to take up prime positions outside the Guildhall -- where past visitors have included queen Elizabeth I in 1589 -- joined eventually by more than 1,000 well-wishers under the slate grey sky.
It was a predominantly white, female and elderly crowd, with a generous sprinkling of young mums -- few dads in sight -- hoping to give their toddlers their first glimpse of a real live queen.
"It's the proverbial once-in-a-lifetime thing," said one local who declined to give his name, but who dressed up for the occasion with a Union Jack necktie. "She's the only head of state I've ever known."
Pushing through the crowd was "the flagman", a middle-aged gent with a bag full of Union Jacks. "I'll sell hundreds, hundreds," he said, as he sold his last small flag for 50 pence to a young boy.
When queen and consort pulled up in their overwhelming dark-burgundy Bentley car, with the royal standard fluttering from the roof, the crowd stirred with excitement.
Out came the little flags, the cameras, the bouquets of daffodils, as the 25-piece Friary Guildford brass band struck up a medley of swing numbers, show tunes and "Rule Britannia".
Beguilingly the queen waddled up to the barriers -- police officers are many, but security otherwise relaxed -- and accepted all flowers thrust her way. Almost immediately they go into the arms of a lady-in-waiting.
Philip meanwhile beckoned youngsters to cross the barrier and meet the monarch, before he drifted over to the Guildhall's smartly uniformed chef to accept the traditional local gift to visting VIPs -- a plum pudding.
Then it was all inside the Guildhall at exactly 1:00 pm -- right on schedule -- for lunch with the great and good of Guildford. Some of the crowd drifted off to continue their day; not a few stayed put, however, determined to catch yet a final glimpse of Europe's longest serving monarch as she left.
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AFP 141037 GMT 04 06
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