• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / Culture / A Brief Overview of the Lord Mayor’s Show

A Brief Overview of the Lord Mayor’s Show

Aug 17, 2021 By John Rabon Leave a Comment

A city such as London certainly enjoys a high level of pageantry, and even a municipal change of power can’t go without a great celebration.  Such is the case for the Lord Mayor’s Show, the parade that marks the beginning of the annual term for the head of the City of London.  The Lord Mayor is different from the Mayor of London as the City of London is different from Greater London.  The City of London is the oldest part of London, dating back to the original Roman settlement, and is a separate government entity from the boroughs that make up Greater London.

The Lord Mayor is the leader of the City of London Corporation and is one of the oldest elected offices in the country, having begun in 1189.  While the office is ancient, the title is actually fairly recent and was introduced in 2006 to distinguish between the City of London leadership and the Mayor of London.  While the Mayor of London is elected by Greater London residents, the Lord Mayor of London is elected by 110 liverymen representing the various London trade associations and guilds.  To be qualified to stand for the election, each candidate must have served as an alderman and served as a sheriff.

After the election, the show begins.  On the city’s calendar, it’s officially listed as “The Procession to the Royal Courts of Justice and Presentation of the Lord Mayor to the Chief Justices.”  When the ceremony began in the 12th Century, it went to the Westminster for the Lord Mayor to present himself to representatives of the Sovereign and pledge loyalty to them before heading to the Royal Courts, a route that was normally taken by barge on the Thames.  Prior to the start of the show, the Lord Mayor receives gifts from the sheriffs at the Guildhall.  Since 1952, the parade route begins and ends at Mansion House (the official residence of the Lord Mayor), going past St. Paul’s Cathedral to receive the Dean’s blessing, down Ludgate Hill to Fleet Street, and then to the Royal Courts of Justice where the Lord Mayor takes the oath of allegiance.  After that, the procession starts back near Temple Gardens, heading up Queen Victoria Street back to Mansion House.

While the exact date of the Lord Mayor’s Show is subject to change, it always takes place in early November.  Prior to 1751, the ceremony took place on October 29, but the changeover from the Julian Calendar to the Georgian Calendar moved it to November 9.  The Date changed again in 1959 to put the Lord Mayor’s Show on the second Saturday of November.  With the exception of 2020 and the COVID-29 Pandemic, the procession has taken place for 477 years.  It remains to be seen what exactly the Lord Mayor’s Show will look like this year as the pandemic continues.

While the Lord Mayor takes the Lord Mayor’s Coach for the procession, he is also joined by floats representing the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, a small selection of the 110 different companies that elect the Lord Mayor.  These twelve include Mercers (general merchants), Grocers, Drapers (wool and cloth merchants), Fishmongers (seafood sellers), Goldsmiths, Skinners (fur traders), Merchant Taylors (tailors), Haberdashers, Salters, Ironmongers, Vinters (wine merchants), and Clothworkers, who participate by right.  Other livery companies may participate in the procession by invitation.  Different bands and military regiments within the City also participate.  Representations of legendary Mayor Dick Whittington, as well as Gog and Magog, can also be seen in the procession.

While the Lord Mayor’s Show is still working out the details for this year’s procession, if it happens, it is guaranteed to be one of the biggest events in the City as it has been for centuries.

The Lord Mayor’s show for 2020 had to be canceled because of COVID-19. As of publishing this, it looks like the show will go ahead for 2021 in November 2021.

Full details on the Lord Mayor’s Show website.

John Rabon
Author: John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Culture, London Events News

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • Artist Ai Weiwei to launch first design-focused exhibition at London’s Design Museum
  • London Travel Alert: Staff at British Museum to walk out during half-term break
  • Poet Lemn Sissay ‘over the moon’ to receive Freedom of the City of London
  • English Heritage has unveiled six new blue plaques for London
  • National Portrait Gallery to reopen in June with two special exhibitions
  • Exploring The Cosmic House in London
  • Ten Social Media Accounts to Follow for Londonphiles
  • New Royal Academy Exhibition: Treasures from Spain and the Hispanic World
  • Pollock’s Toy Museum in London Has Closed Unexpectedly
  • The Fiver:  Five Live-Action Children’s Shows Set in London

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Elizabeth line fully opens and offers more direct journeys

Tube poet encourages writers to ‘bring who they are to the field’

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in