Penny Mordaunt: Pomp & Circumstance at Gloucester History Festival

Pomp & Circumstance: Great British Traditions

Penny Mordaunt’s sword-carrying role at the Coronation of King Charles III became one of the ceremony’s defining images. Now the former Leader of the House of Commons explores the history of Britain’s greatest traditions. From the Coronation Service to royal weddings and funerals, the State Opening of Parliament to Remembrance Day, sporting rituals to local customs including Gloucestershire’s cheese rolling competition, she considers how ceremony creates identity, continuity and belonging. Which traditions should be preserved and how must they evolve to remain meaningful?