YORK is gearing up to welcome three royal visitors as the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and their granddaughter Princess Beatrice make an Easter visit to the city.

On Thursday the royal party will arrive through Micklegate Bar, the traditional entrance to the city, before going on to the Minster, a private lunch at the Mansion House and a tour of ‘1212: The Making of the City’ exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum.

The Queen has chosen to visit York Minster during her Diamond Jubilee year celebrations to mark her annual Maundy service, during which she will distribute Maundy money to 86 women and 86 men – one for each year of the monarch’s life – as part of a long-standing Easter tradition.

Each recipient will be given a red purse containing a £5 coin commemorating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and a 50p coin. They will also receive a white purse holding Maundy money in the form of silver one, two, three and four-penny pieces, the sum of which equals the Queen’s age.

All the coins have been newly minted this year, with the recipients being retired pensioners recommended by clergy and ministers in recognition of their service to the church and the community in York, as well as others from outside the city in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee.

Following the service, the royal party will sign the Minster’s visitor book and an official picture will be taken of the Queen and those who received the Maundy money outside the Great West Door, with a reception being held at the Deanery before the Mansion House civic lunch.

Among those to be invited to the private lunch include recipients of The Press’ 2011 Community Pride awards, which celebrate unsung heroes who go to remarkable lengths to make their community a better place or show bravery or determination in diversity.

The Mansion House luncheon is also due to be attended by the civic party, including Lord Mayor Coun David Horton, the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, the Dean of the Minster Keith Jones, the leaders of York’s political parties, chief executive of City of York Council Kersten England and the deputy chief executive of the council Bill Woolley, as well as Army representatives.

Young winners of the child of the year category are also due to present the Queen with a posy when she visits Micklegate earlier in the day.

After the Mansion House lunch the royal party will visit the exhibition “1212: The Making of the City” at the Yorkshire Museum.

The new exhibition marks the 800th anniversary of York’s self-governance, telling the story of medieval York and celebrating the people, places and events that have contributed to the city’s heritage.

The visit has been considered a huge coup for the city as the Queen marks her Jubilee visit and York is gears up for the York 800 celebrations to mark 800 years since the granting of its city charter.