Overview

• The championships went ahead on Sunday in Southwick after organisers had warned of cancellation due to a lack of large, competition‑grade conkers.
• Windsor Castle sent more than 300 high‑quality conkers gathered on the estate and forwarded via the palace’s public relations office, with organisers saying they do not know who picked them.
• The royal batch was set aside for the finals, and additional supplies arrived from across Europe, including donations and imports from France and Italy.
• Civil servant Matt Cross was crowned King Conker and Margaret Blake won the women’s title, with last year’s men’s champion David Jakins knocked out early by Stephanie Withall.
• Organisers said the Windsor delivery was decisive in allowing the event to proceed, as more than 200 competitors took part in a contest that drew extra attention after last year’s cheating allegation was investigated and cleared.