The coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla is leaving many protagonists more than the monarchs themselves. During the investiture ceremony, one woman in particular began to catch the attention of all present and spectators, her name: Penny Mordaunt.
Dressed in a stunning blue gown, complete with cape and gold detailing on her shoulders and headdress, Penny was the first woman to perform the ancient exchange of the Jeweled Offering Sword during the coronation of Charles III.
Who is Penny Mordaunt, the lady in blue at the coronation?
Although many did not know her name, in the networks she began to be known as “the lady in blue at the coronation”. However, Mordaunt has an extensive career as a UK civil servant, where she has served as a Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North since 2010.
Penny is the leader of the House of Commons and Lord Speaker since 2022. The politician grabbed all eyes during the most symbolic moment of the ritual, as she has been in charge of handing him the sword of the offering that symbolizes the qualities of a knight and the role of a defender of virtue.
Mordaunt, 50, handed Charles the sword, which weighs four kilos (eight pounds), at right angles before exchanging it for the Jewelled Sword of Offering and handing it to the king. This sword is covered with precious stones.
The sword itself dates back to the coronation of King George IV in 1821. According to the Royal Trust Collection, the bejeweled object is entrusted to the reigning monarch with the command that it be “used for the protection of good and the punishment of evil,” People explains.
One of the most important jobs she has had to play Penny was in October 2022, when she deputized Prime Minister Liz Truss to handle an urgent matter in Parliament.
On her role at the coronation, Penny told BBC Radio Solent that she was “able to handle” the weighty artifact thanks to her training experience in the Royal Navy. She told the Times Radio that she prepared for the task by “doing some press-ups.”
Her television work
In 2014, Mordaunt appeared on “Splash!” a British show in which celebrities learn diving techniques. After she announced that she would run for prime minister last year, a clip of her appearance on the show in which she falls into the water completely upside down went viral.