The duty of the King's Champion was to ride fully armed into the coronation banquet at Westminster Hall and challenge anyone who doubted the new monarch's right to the throne. The Champion then threw down his gauntlet to signal that he would fight to the death anyone who might dare to do so. This action was performed three times and if no challenge was received the king was presented with a gold cup of wine from which he drank a toast to the Champion, who in turn took the cup, drank the remnant and shouted "Long live your Majesties". Although feudal tenure was abolished in England by the Tenures Abolition Act 1660, which thus abolished tenures by grand serjeanty, the traditional custom of the lord of the manor of Scrivelsby acting as King's Champion continued until the coronation of King George IV in 1821, after which it was discontinued.
