in votes for finland. the singer made history as the first woman to win twice. now on bbc news political thinking with nick robinson. who was the star of the coronation? apart, that is, from their majesties the king and queen. the answer, most watching would surely agree, is the bearer of the sword of state, all 8lb of it, held aloft for a muscle straining 51 minutes. my guest on political thinking, a conversation with, rather than interrogation of, someone who shapes our political thinking. it was a feat performed by the first woman to do the job at a coronation, penny mordaunt, and it won the admiration of people who are normally her political foes. she did it as lord president of the council. her dayjob is leader of the house of commons, and that performance led to the bookies cutting the odds on her becoming the next leader of the conservative party. worth remembering, she came mighty close to getting the job and becoming our prime minister last summer after borisjohnson
will ayling, the magician, a very famous illusionist, and his signature trick, i was sawn into three pieces and then put back together again. but it was great, and when i first went to party conference which at the time was in bournemouth, i knew all the hotels because i had been sawn in half and most of them over the course of a few years. tell us the secret, how does it work? if i was to tell you terrible things would happen so i can t, i m afraid. and you have been a performer for a while because you were at theatre school. my twin and i did that, it was a hobby, i was a dancer as well, i was trained in ballet, and i love music and i love dance and the arts.
The Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council carried the Sword of State before presenting the jewelled Sword of Offering to King Charles in Westminster Abbey.
Brexiteer Penny Mordaunt, 49, from Portsmouth North, is one of the favourites to take over from outgoing PM Liz Truss next week and was once voted Britain s sexiest MP .