King Charles’ coronation rehearsal took an unexpected turn.
During an appearance at the Cheltenham Literature Festival this saturday, the British politician, Dame Penny Mordaunt who carried the historic sword of state as part of His Majesty’s coronation ceremony in 2023, recalled a lighthearted behind the scenes moment from the event, and how his grandson Prince Louis’ visit changed his mood.
“We were doing dress rehearsals on the Thursday before, and the King was bored out of his mind. He’d just done two weeks of this, and he’d had enough. I was watching him glaze over in the coronation chair,” Dame said.
Adding, “And then he suddenly sprung to life because beside him was Prince Louis, who had come to visit. They stopped the rehearsal so that he could show Prince Louis all the Crown Jewels. That’s a memory that I shall treasure.”
She further recalled, “Before the ceremony kicked off, we were all lined up in the cloisters in Westminster Abbey, ready for when the end of the procession had come through London. We would join the end and, as we went up the aisle, then the Royal Family would arrive, timed to perfection.”
“But I was going to have to wait around with this whopping great sword, and I thought, we’ve got to stand here for a couple of hours before we even go in. I’m not having that,” Dame shared further.
She also shared that a staff member offered to hold the sword until her call as she was concerned about having to stand for hours in high heels, stating, “I said, ‘Well, I’m not putting my heels on.’ So I was there in this fabulous demi-couture dress, with these great big fluffy slippers on, with all the Pursuivants of Arms, who had got their robes stuffed with Fruit Pastilles, and I had this nightmare that I was going to forget to put my shoes on.”
It is pertinent to mention here that Dame Penny Mordaunt was the first woman to carry the sword of state at a British coronation.
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