Turns out, Penny Mordaunt did some *serious* prep in order to carry that sword
Dubbed the 'Pippa Middleton's bum' moment of the coronation, the Sword of State (carried by Conservative party MP, Penny Mordaunt) certainly stole the show during King Charles and Queen Camilla's coronation day. I mean, to be fair it was pretty impressive that Mordaunt was able to hold the heavy historic item for so long without wobbling – right?
Turns out, she had plenty of practice in the run-up to her big moment in Westminster Abbey, which saw her present the sword to the King after it had been blessed by the Archbishop.
Speaking ahead of the coronation, Mordaunt made an appearance on The Times' Red Box Politics podcast, where she revealed that she'd been working hard on her fitness levels and "doing some press-ups" in order to get in shape for her big sword-carrying role.
"On the day I am representing the King's authority, and I am going to be doing a number of things," she explained, adding that during rehearsals she'd been getting in plenty of practice with weighted replicas. Mordaunt also quipped that her time as a Navy Reserve had also ended up being great training when it comes to standing still for long periods of time (without passing out) – something she also nailed during the ceremony watched by millions.
Why did Penny Mordaunt carry the sword?
Penny Mordaunt was chosen to be the sword bearer at the King's coronation because she's the Lord President of the Council – which she described on the same podcast as basically being "the chairman of the King's Privy Council".
When asked how she feels about the ceremony taking place, given the horrendous cost of living crisis that's impacting so many people in Britain at the moment, the Tory MP replied that she thinks tradition is important and that the monarchy have adapted well.
"I think the monarchy survives and persists because it adapts and it changes and it's always relevant," she commented. "And I think that in this coronation, yes, it is going to be royal and marvellous and mystical and spiritual and everything that you would expect it to be, but it will be modern as well.
"And there's always great chat before an event like this, has it gone too far one way? Has it gone too far the other way? And we always get it absolutely spot on. I think that it's an important moment for the country. I think the country is proud of the monarchy and the royal family and the service they play."
Mordaunt also praised the monarchy for providing "stability and continuity" and added that she hopes "everyone has an amazing weekend, I know that is what the King would wish."
See key moments from the coronation in photos here
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