Somerset Lord-Lieutenant praises 'joyful' occasion after attending King's coronation

Somerset's Lord-Lieutenant, Mohammed Saddiq, has praised the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla as a "joyful occasion".

Lord-Lieutenants represent the monarch in various areas around the country and many attending the event on Saturday 6 May.

Mr Saddiq took over the role in 2022, following the retirement of Annie Maw.

He told ITV's Ben McGrail that he could not believe it when his invitation to the Coronation arrived. "It was a hugely emotional moment," he said.

After the ceremony yesterday, he added: "It was a joyful occasion. Seeing the royal family together at the Abbey, having the opportunity to see so many dignitaries from around the world, past Prime Ministers, current Prime Minister, and, above all, the conversations that I had with many of the volunteers that have done incredible things for their communities - those volunteers and their stories were quite amazing. It was a joyful occasion, it really was."

Mr Saddiq attended a special celebration service at Wells Cathedral in Somerset on the morning of Sunday 7 May to mark the coronation.

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