sword of state

plural swords of state

1. A sword used as part of the regalia, symbolizing the power of a monarch to use the might of the state against its enemies.

   The whole thing – save for the court shoes, which looked comfortable enough to be from the Portsmouth Marks & Spencer – was very Game of Thrones, an impression only added to by the fact that in front of her she carried the sword of state, which is 4ft long and weighs eight pounds.

   6 May 2023, Rachel Cooke, “It was ludicrous but also magnificent: the coronation stirred every emotion”, in The Guardian