Who is Penny Mordaunt? U.K. politician first woman to present Sword of Offering to British monarch

A U.K. politician is grabbing headlines for her ceremonial role as a sword-bearer at the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday.

Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Privy Council, took on a leading role during the coronation service at London’s Westminster Abbey, where Charles III was crowned at 74 following the death of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September.

As Lord President of the Privy Council, Mordaunt exchanged the larger Sword of State, a steel blade with a silver-gilt hilt that symbolizes royal authority, for the jewelled Sword of Offering, which the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby then placed in the King’s right hand.

Mordaunt later redeemed the sword by offering 100 newly minted 50 pence coins and carried the sword before the King for the rest of the service.

Media reports say Mordaunt is the first woman to present the Sword of Offering to a British monarch.

“If I may be so bold, on behalf of all women who are part of the King’s Privy Council, the Rt Hon @PennyMordaunt, Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons, bearer of the Jewelled Sword of Offering, absolutely served with her look today,” Canadian Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner tweeted Saturday morning.

She added in another tweet that she hopes other women who see Mordaunt will consider running for office, as well.

WHO IS PENNY MORDAUNT?

Mordaunt has served as the member of Parliament for Portsmouth North in southern England since 2010.

Her mother worked as a special needs teacher, while her father served in the army’s Parachute Regiment.

Mordaunt was the first woman to serve as Minister for Armed Forces and Secretary of State for Defence.

She was appointed Lord President of the Privy Council and Leader of the House of Commons in September 2022.

Mordaunt ran unsuccessfully to become leader of the U.K. Conservative Party following the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.

She previously appeared on the U.K. reality TV show “Splash,” where celebrities learn to dive.

SWORD OF OFFERING

Symbolizing the protection of good and the punishment of evil, the jewelled sword was used as a Sword of Offering at the coronation ceremony of George IV in 1821.

It wouldn’t appear again at a coronation ceremony until 1902 for Edward VII and it has been featured at all subsequent coronations since.

The sword features partly blued and gilt steel decorated on both faces with national emblems, including roses, thistles and shamrocks, while the hilt and scabbard are decorated with numerous jewels such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds.

With files from The Associated Press and Reuters