Each recipient receives two small leather purses – one red and one white.
The red purse contains a £5 coin featuring a design to commemorate 100 years since the birth of Elizabeth II, and a 50p coin that celebrates the 50th anniversary of The King’s Trust. The white purse contains coins to match the monarch’s age in pennies.
Jean Carthy, 81, from Towyn, said she thought it was a scam when she received a letter telling her she had been nominated to receive the gift.
“Even this morning I was wondering why I was there. It was just so, so special and especially because it was the first time it has been in North Wales,” she said.
“He gave me the purses and said ‘thank you for the work you do’ and that was really something.”
Colin Pengelly, 77, from Castle Caereinion, near Welshpool, said: “It has been an amazing, humbling experience.
“The King put the purses in my hand and said ‘thank you for all you have done over the years’. I said to him ‘thank you too, keep doing it’.”
Supporters with Union flags and Welsh flags lined the street outside the cathedral to greet the King and Queen.
Further up the road, behind barriers separating them from the rest of the crowd, were a group of protesters with yellow flags from Republic, an anti-monarchy campaign group.
They held a banner which had photos of the King, his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the Prince of Wales, with the slogan: “What are you hiding? Royal Epstein inquiry now.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.telegraph.co.uk ’
