- British politician Penny Mordaunt played a key role in King Charles’ coronation on May 6.
- Their duties consisted of carrying swords throughout the entire ceremony, which lasted for over an hour.
- Speaking on the BBC’s “Political Thought” podcast, he revealed that he took painkillers to prepare.
The British politician tasked with wielding traditional swords in coronation of king charles he said he took painkillers to deal with the strain of holding them for more than an hour.
Penny Mordaunt, 50, took center stage at the coronation of Charles and Queen Camilla on Saturday. The first coronation in the UK in 70 years, the royal event saw approximately 2,200 special guests gather at Westminster Abbey to witness Charles formally begin his reign as millions watched the historic moment on television.
Although the coronation of Carlos it was much more condensed than that of her predecessor, Queen Elizabeth II, the ceremony lasted over an hour. Mordaunt, representative of the Conservative Party, assumed the role of Lord President of the Privy Councilwhich involved her carrying two swords during the coronation.
Penny Mordaunt and King Charles III at their coronation in Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023 in London, England.
Richard Pohle-WPA Pool/Getty Images
He arrived at Westminster Abbey with the Sword of Inheritance before exchanging it for the Jeweled Sword of Offering.
According iNews, the first sword weighs about 3.6 kilograms, or about 8 pounds, and is 1.2 meters long. It was made in the 17th century for King Charles II and is still used for the opening of the state Parliament in the UK, as iNews reported.
Meanwhile, the jeweled sword in the offering is encrusted with diamonds, rubies and features a gold hilt, a design suggested by King George IV in the 19th century, according to the royal collection trust.
Reflecting on the task during a recent appearance on the BBC “Political Thought” PodcastMordaunt said she prepared for her role by taking painkillers.
“I took a couple of painkillers earlier just to make sure I was going to be okay,” he told podcast host Nick Robinson, adding that he hadn’t trained any other way and hadn’t been in the gym for the previous six months. the actual event.
To maintain her blood circulation, Mordaunt, who was the first woman to take on the ancient task, as the BBC noted, said she relied on tricks she learned during her navy training, such as “twisting” her toes. She also said that having “a good breakfast” and “comfortable shoes” came in handy.
Before the coronation, Mordaunt joked that he had been preparing to carry the swords by doing “push-ups” in an interview on “The Red Box Politics Podcast”.
While many watchers of the coronation on the great day praised Mordaunt Due to his ability to hold swords without wavering, some social media users took the opportunity to make fun of his stamina when wielding swords.
A social media user edited a photo of his holding the sword for a kebab. Meanwhile, others joked that she deserved to be in Olympics for holding the swords as long as he did.
—Nick O’Donnell (@gnickodonnell) May 8, 2023
—Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) May 6, 2023
But Mordaunt didn’t seem fazed by the memes; in fact, she was a fan.
“I got together with my phone and found that I had become a meme,” Mordaunt told the BBC. “I say well done to the great British public.”
