THE Lord Mayor of Westminster was a special guest in the belfry of Westminster Abbey as bell-ringers marked the 43rd birthday of the Princess of Wales with a chime for every year of her birth.

Cllr Robert Rigby (pictured above) joined a team of 10 who rang the 20-minute birthday sequence at 1pm in the historic tower 160 steps above ground level.

The bells, installed in 1971, have pealed on every significant state occasion, from royal deaths to weddings and the coronation of King Charles III in May 2023. The heaviest of the 10 bells in the tower weights 1.5 tonnes and collectively they can be heard more than a quarter of a mile away.

The Lord Mayor was talked through the complex choreography of bell-ringing and tried his hands in the correct position for sounding the chimes .

Cllr Rigby said: “Thank you to the bell-ringers for this unique ringside seat for their performance. You can certainly say I was shown the ropes. The bells of the abbey have been the soundtrack to so many massive moments in British history, so it was great to see the dedicated men and women who perform the ringing sequence so expertly. As well as being Lord Mayor, I am also deputy high steward of Westminster Abbey, a wonderful and privileged position, so feel a particular attachment to this famous venue.”

And he added: “History says that the Queen Mother asked for the abbey bells to be made clearer so she could hear them from Clarence House. I am not sure if her royal highness the princess could hear them on her 43rd birthday, but it sounded like a wonderful greeting.”