Penny Mordaunt tells BBC she channelled Betty Boothroyd for coronation role
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Penny Mordaunt said she wanted to offer a strong and powerful message to girls and young women with her ceremonial role in the King’s coronation, in the same way former speaker Baroness Betty Boothroyd did for her generation.
As Lord President of the Council, Conservative MP Ms Mordaunt was responsible for bearing the Sword of State and presenting the Jewelled Sword of Offering to Charles at his coronation – the first time the duty had been carried out by a woman.
The 50-year-old, who is also the Leader of the House of Commons, sparked interest on social media wearing a custom-made teal outfit with a matching cape and headband with gold feather embroidery.
Ms Mordaunt told TV presenter Kirsty Wark on BBC Two documentary Lives Well Lived that she had received hundreds of pictures of herself from the historical event, held at Westminster Abbey on May 6.
“I think sometimes the power of an image, seeing a woman doing a particular role and being strong has a huge impact on the aspirations of young women,” she said.
Ms Mordaunt also spoke about the impact that “confident and grounded” Lady Boothroyd, the first woman speaker of the House of Commons, had on young women.
“She taught us to make every day count and it didn’t matter if you were Conservative, Liberal Democrat, SNP or Labour.
“She was a megastar … we’d come away either laughing or she’d given us a fantastic piece of advice.”
Born in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, Lady Boothroyd was elected to be the first female speaker by her fellow MPs in 1992 and served in the post for eight years.
The BBC Two documentary airing on Saturday evening looks back at Lady Boothroyd’s life, while also exploring the lives of Tina Turner, Sir Bobby Charlton, Glenda Jackson and Sir Michael Parkinson, who all died this year.
Lady Boothroyd died in February at the age of 93 and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described her as a “remarkable woman”.
The programme will also show Calendar Girls actress Celia Imrie reveal private photographs of her and late actress and former MP Ms Jackson when they were on a world tour of Hedda Gabler in the 1970s.
Ms Imrie, who was the tea girl, said: “Her face was an amazing picture of strength. She was fierce … like a lioness on our behalf.”
Lives Well Lived airs on BBC Two at 7pm on Saturday.
