The Honourable The King's (orQueen's)Champion is an honorary andhereditary office in theRoyal Household of theBritish sovereign. The champion's original role at thecoronation of a British monarch was to challenge anyone who contested the new monarch's entitlement to the throne totrial by combat. Although this function was last enacted at thecoronation of George IV in 1821, the office continues to descend through theDymoke family.

TheLord of the Manor ofScrivelsby in Lincolnshire, England, has, since theNorman Conquest in 1066, held the manor from the Crown by grandserjeanty of being the King's or Queen's Champion. Such person is also theStandard Bearer of England. The current King's Champion is a member of the Dymoke family, which has included many Champions.^[1]

The 35th Champion was the 34th Lord of the Manor of Scrivelsby,Thornton andDalderby and patron of the living of Scrivelsby-cum-Dalderby, Francis John Fane Marmion Dymoke (b. 19 January 1955, d. December 2023),^[2] a farmer and former chartered accountant. He served as the King's Champion at thecoronation of Charles III, where he carried the Royal Standard in the coronation procession.^[3] He served asHigh Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1999.^[4]

The present Champion is his eldest son, Henry Francis Marmion Dymoke (born 1984).

The office of King's Champion was originally granted to Robert Marmion, 1stBaron Marmion, along with the castle andManor ofTamworth and theManor of Scrivelsby in the time of William the Conqueror.^{[dubious –discuss][5]} From then until the nineteenth century the officer's role was to act as champion for the monarch at his or hercoronation, in the unlikely event that someone challenged the new monarch's title to the throne. The Champion was required to ride in fullarmour intoWestminster Hall during thecoronation banquet, escorted by theEarl Marshal and theLord High Constable, all in full dress, robes and coronets, and await the challenge to all comers. The king could not fight in single combat against anyone except an equal. Thistrial by combat remained purely ceremonial and had a central place in the coronation banquet.

By 1377 the senior male line of the Marmions had died out, and in that year the office of King's Champion at the coronation ofKing Richard II was fulfilled by Sir JohnDymoke, who had married Margaret Ludlow,^[6] granddaughter of Sir Thomas Ludlow and Johanna Marmion, daughter of SirPhilip Marmion (d.1291).^[7] Margaret was the heiress of the senior branch of the Marmion family, and so held the Manor of Scrivelsby. The claim by SirBaldwin de Freville, who then held theManor of Tamworth, was rejected.

In later years, theGarter King of Arms read out the challenge, and the Champion threw down thegauntlet at the entrance toWestminster Hall, then again in the middle of the Hall, and lastly at the foot of theThrone, each time repeating the challenge. Each time the gauntlet was recovered by Garter. The Champion was rewarded with a gilt-covered cup, the monarch having first drunk to the Champion from it.

John II Walshe (d.1546/7) ofLittle Sodbury, Gloucestershire, was King's Champion at the coronation ofHenry VIII in 1509 and was a great favourite of the young king.^[8]

The words of the challenge varied over the years, but those used for thecoronation of George IV in 1821 were these:

If any person, of whatever degree soever, high or low, shall deny or gainsay our Sovereign Lord George, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, son and next heir unto our Sovereign Lord the last King deceased, to be the right heir to the imperial Crown of this realm of Great Britain and Ireland, or that he ought not to enjoy the same; here is his Champion, who saith that he lieth, and is a false traitor, being ready in person to combat with him, and in this quarrel will adventure his life against him on what day soever he shall be appointed.

The holder of the post at that time, John Dymoke, was a clergyman and so the honour passed to his son,Henry Dymoke, who was only 20 years old and did not possess a suitable horse, so one had to be hired fromAstley's Circus.^[9]

William IV held nocoronation banquet in 1831, so the King's Champion was not called upon to act. At theCoronation of Queen Victoria in 1838, it was decided not to include the traditional ride and challenge of the Champion, andHenry Dymoke was made abaronet in recompense. The ride and challenge has never yet been revived.^[10]

At the 1902 coronation ofEdward VII, the Dymoke family's claim to undertake a historic role in the coronation was admitted by theCourt of Claims, and he^[who?] was allowed to beStandard Bearer of England.^[11]John Dymoke had his claim admitted at thecoronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and acted as Standard-Bearer of theUnion Flag.^[12] At thecoronation of King Charles III in 2023, John Dymoke's son Francis carried theRoyal Standard after his claim to undertake a historic role in the coronation was upheld by the Coronation Claims Office.^[13]

The Champion's Armour used for the coronations ofJames I to George IV still exists and is on display in St George's Hall,Windsor Castle.

• Lodge, The Rev. Samuel (1893).Scrivelsby, The Home of the Champions. Horncastle: W K Morton.
• Strong, Sir Roy (2005).Coronation: A History of Kingship and the British Monarchy. London: Harper Collins.ISBN 978-0-00-716054-9.

• State ritual and ceremonies
• Ceremonial officers in the United Kingdom

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