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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Courtney Pochin

Penny Mordaunt wields huge 'naked' sword at Coronation after weeks of preparation

There were many memorable moments during the King's Coronation ceremony - from the official crowning to the first look at the Princess of Wales' fabulous outfit for the occasion to seeing Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis sharing a touching gesture.

But one person nobody expected to 'steal the show' was Penny Mordaunt, who had an important role to play during the ceremony.

The Conservative MP, who missed out on becoming Conservative Party leader and prime minister last year, was tasked with wielding the four-foot, eight-pound sword of state.

Mordaunt was given the role due to her position as lord president of the privy council, which is a group of advisors to the monarch.

Penny Mourdant carried the Sword of State, which was given to King Charles as part of his regalia (Getty Images)

The sword is intended to represent the King's authority and was carried by Mordaunt into the Abbey, after being blessed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Minister walked with the huge sword as part of a procession, holding it carefully at right angles to her body.

During the ceremony, the heavy jewelled sword is swapped for a lighter Sword of Offering, that she hands to the King as part of his regalia - which also includes the crown and the orb.

As part of the ancient tradition, Mordaunt then had to 'buy' the sword back from the Archbishop, by exchanging it at the altar during the ceremony for a bag of one hundred newly-minted 50p coins, all bearing an effigy of Charles.

The 50-year-old then drew the sword and held it in its 'naked' form for the rest of the service.

People stay the Conservative MP 'stole the show' (Getty Images)
The four-foot long sword weight eight pounds (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Mordaunt is the first woman to ever perform this task at a Coroation and she's taken the role, which requires some major upper body strength, very seriously.

"It's drawing on all of my military drill experience," she told Politico.

She reportedly spent weeks rehearsing with a weighted replica, to ensure she was up to the job and it seems all her hard work paid off as people watching at home have gone wild over her, claiming she stole the show - and they also loved her teal caped ensemble for the occasion.

On Twitter, Penny Mordaunt has been trending, with one saying: "Penny Mordaunt's arms must be knackered. She's been holding that sword longer than Truss was PM."

Another joked: "Penny Mordaunt has definitely stolen the show for me today. Looks like a goddess."

A third asked: "So, we're all going as sword-carrying Penny Mordaunt to Halloween parties this year, yes?"

While a different user added: "Penny Mordaunt did not skip arm day."

Others compared the whole thing to something out of Game of Thrones, while some thought the teal and gold design of her dress looked a bit like the Poundland logo.

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