On May 6, 2023, King Charles III’s coronation ceremony saw over 2200 guests worldwide in a magnificent display of the monarchy. While the Westminister Abby was decked by important officials and royals, one of them especially stole the show, and I’m not talking about the King.
Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council, was given an indispensable role during the ceremony, and she executed it with perfect poise.
Her recent appearance at the coronation went viral as people praised her for her sense of responsibility and upper body strength. So what exactly was Mordaunt tasked with?
Penelope Mary Mordaunt was the first woman ever to present the Sword of Offering in a coronation ceremony. So why was she chosen to carry the sword? It might be because of her political position, which she described as being similar to “the chairman of the King’s Privy Council.”
Mordaunt had made an appearance on the Red Box Politics podcast of The Times. In the podcast, she shared a lot of details about her upcoming role, though she never detailed the specifics. She commented, “It is going to be royal and marvelous and mystical and spiritual and everything that you would expect it to be, but it will be modern as well.”
The inclusion of the word ‘modern’ might be referring to her role as the first-ever female sword-bearer. It looks like she had plenty of practice before the coronation ceremony as well.
The sword that Penny carried is called the Sword of State, made by an Italian craftsman, Domenico da Sutri. It is a part of the Honors of Scotland, which are the oldest crown jewels in Britain. It symbolizes the monarch’s duty to preserve rights and peace.
Penny Mordaunt carried the sword that weights eight pounds at right angles to her body. She then exchanged it for the jeweled sword of offering and presented it to King Charles.
The next custom she participated in was when she “bought back” the sword from the Archbishop of Canterbury. The price was 100 newly minted 50p pieces that bore an effigy of the current King.
Twitter was flooded with tweets from fans like:
Many have brought up her past and some questionable decisions on her part, but people are ready to forget them to support her participation in the coronation.
Mordaunt’s trainer is also currently in demand since her fitness level has awed everyone. Dan Walker, an English journalist, even commented, “Get her in the Olympics.” Even Mordaunt’s outfit was found to be modern yet elegant and royal, suitable for the occasion.
If you missed out on the coronation livestream, then the full, almost 3-hour-long ceremony has been posted on The Royal Family YouTube channel. Check out the stream right here, and don’t forget to notice Penny Maordaunt as she stands out in her custom teal dress.
Penny became an unexpected highlight of the event, as most didn’t expect a woman to be able to hold the sword for such a long time. So what do you think of the politician’s dedication?
Is this move symbolic of the monarch’s power? Or do you think it is unfair to favor politicians during such a meaningful ceremony?