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.
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"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
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
