FARMER On May 4, Buckingham Palace revealed more than two dozen ceremonial roles, including Francis Dymoke.
But he is no stranger to the position, since his family has played a prominent role in every coronation.
Who is Francis Dymoke?
Francis John Fane Marmion Dymoke is the 34th Lord of the Manor of Scrivelsby and a former accountant.
He spent most of his youth on the road as the son of an Army officer.
That is, until his father inherited a Tudor mansion and 3,000 acres of tenanted farmland after WWII.
Dymoke grew up in Marlborough and attended Hull University before going into accountancy.
After his father died, he inherited the estate.
During the coronation on May 6, Francis Dymoke will serve as the King’s champion.
He will take on a position that members of his family have played since William the Conqueror was king in 1066.
Until the nineteenth century, the duty would have required him to ride a horse into Westminster Hall and confront anybody who questioned the new king or queen’s power.
This was generally done at the beginning of the Coronation Banquet.
All of this came to an end with the coronation of King George IV in 1821.
Since then, the King’s (or Queen’s) Champion has traditionally carried a standard or banner.
While the first Champion was appointed after years of devotion to the monarch, Dymoke just filled out an internet form and highlighted his family’s long-standing engagement in the coronation.
Dymoke will be the 34th member of his family to attend a coronation ceremony.
“This is the one moment in my life that really matters,” he told The Telegraph.
The parade will be headed by the Marquess of Anglesey, the Duke of Westminster, the Earl of Caledon, and the Earl of Dundee, who will carry the Royal Arms Quarterings Standards and the Principality of Wales Standard.
The Royal Standard will be carried by Dymoke.
Amy Taylor, a Petty Officer, will be the first woman to carry the King’s Jewelled Sword of Offering into the monastery.
She was chosen to symbolise soldiers and women in an homage to Charles’ military career, which also included service as a navy commander.
She said: “Having served most of my senior career as an aircraft engineer on 845 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton where His Majesty originally trained and served as a pilot, I am deeply honoured and humbled to play my part in this historic event.
