Cinque Ports

Cinque Ports, originally the five ports of Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover, and Sandwich, with, in later times, the addition of Winchelsea and Rye. These ports supplied ships of war for the king's navy, and received in return some important privileges in the way of government, constitution and other. Their representatives are entitled to bear a canopy over the sovereign at coronation, and ships hailing from a cinque port are exempt from the payment of harbour dues.