莫当特生于德文郡的海滨城镇托基,大学就读于雷丁大学,学习哲学。进入国会前,她曾在私营、公共和慈善部门从事过商务和沟通工作,包括担任肯辛顿和切尔西自治市议会(英语:Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council)的通信主管(英语:Director of communications)。她曾是下院女性议员中唯一的海军预备役军官。
2014年她被时任首相卡梅伦提拔为社区和地方政府部政务次官(英语:Department for Communities and Local Government)。[10][11]2015年升任国防部武装力量副大臣(英语:Minister of State for the Armed Forces),成为第一位担任这一职务的女性。[12]
2016年特蕾莎·梅成为首相后,莫当特调任新升格的残障人士副大臣(英语:Department for Work and Pensions)。2017年接替因私会以色列官员而辞职的普丽蒂·帕特尔任国际发展大臣;[13];2018年4月30日接替盧綺婷出任婦女及平等大臣;2019年5月1日接替受泄密指控被解职的加文·威廉姆森,改任英國首位女性防相。[14]
^Profile (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆), ukwhoswho.com; accessed 8 May 2015.
^News Splash! How diving MP Penny Mordaunt took the plunge in a 'secret' marriage to uni sweetheart that left her so scarred 'she never wants to marry again'. [2016-09-19]. (原始内容于2020-11-12).
^Priti Patel quits over Israel meetings row. BBC News. 2017-11-08 [2017-11-08]. (原始内容于2017-11-08) (英国英语).
^ 5.05.15.25.35.4Jane Fryer. Why our sexiest MP is on Splash! tonight. Daily Mail. 2014-01-17 [2014-01-26]. (原始内容于2022-02-03).
^ 6.06.1"Penny Mordaunt profile" 互联网档案馆的,存档日期2010-04-30., conservatives.com; accessed 8 May 2015.
^Matthew Bell The Feral Beast: "Cecilia pins her hopes on the Pope" (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆), independent.co.uk, 24 March 2013
^Profile (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆), conservatives.com; accessed 8 May 2015.
^"Howard's harem" Archive.is的存檔,存档日期2013-05-05, thisislondon.co.uk; accessed 8 May 2015.
^Christopher Hope. Pen portraits of the 10 Conservative women ministers who were promoted in the reshuffle. 每日电讯报. 2014-07-15 [2014-07-15]. (原始内容于2017-05-17).
^Liam Kelly. Brandon Lewis promoted to housing and planning minister in reshuffle. The Guardian. 2014-07-15 [2014-07-15]. (原始内容于2014-07-16).
^Penny Mordaunt first woman to become Armed Forces Minister. 2015-05-11 [2017-11-10]. (原始内容于2016-03-06).
^Penny Mordaunt replaces Priti Patel in cabinet reshuffle. BBC News. 2017-11-09 [2017-11-10]. (原始内容于2017-11-10).