A man with the hereditary duty to fight anyone who challenges the new King’s entitlement to the throne has been given £1,275 by Horncastle Freemasons to help celebrate the coronation of Charles III.
He’s Francis Dymoke, the current holder of the title of The King’s Champion, which has been in his family since the Coronation of Richard II in 1377.
Handing him the money, Michael Carter, representative of the Horncastle Freemasons, said: “It’s unlikely that there will be any challenge; there hasn’t been one since 1831 and the Coronation of George IV.”
Michael represents Horncastle’s Freemasons on fund-raising committees organised by Horncastle Town Council. He said: “This committee, consisting of many local clubs and societies, was formed to organise the Town’s celebrations for the Coronation weekend in May.
“Donations processed by Horncastle Town Council benefit the chosen cause as the council can claim back Value Added Tax, thus increasing the value of the donation.
“Several Masonic Lodges and Orders in town kindly donated a total of £1,275, and as Francis Dymoke is likely to be called take part in the Coronation, it was felt appropriate that he received the cheques on behalf of the Committee.”
Francis Dymoke, who lives at Scrivelsby Hall with his wife Gail, holds the role of King’s Champion as part of the Royal Household, and will be declared the new King’s Champion at the Coronation on May 6th.
The title dates back to William the Conqueror, when it was the champion’s duty to ride into Westminster Hall during the coronation banquet, fully clad in armour astride a white charger. There he would throw down his gauntlet and challenge anyone who dared to deny the sovereign’s right to the throne – an example English tradition that wasn’t abandoned until the Coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838.
Henry Dymoke was Queen’s Champion at the time, and was created a baronet by way of compensation for being denied the ride.
The Champion’s title was originally held by the Marmion family in Staffordshire, but passed to the Dymokes by marriage after the Marmion line died out.
