The Lord Mayor of London is the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

, England, and the

leader Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

of the

City of London Corporation The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the local authority of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United Kingdom's f ...

. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the

sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title that can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to ...

and retains various traditional powers, rights, and privileges, including the

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...

and

style Style, or styles may refer to: Film and television * ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal * ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film * ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film * '' ...

The Right Honourable ''The Right Honourable'' (abbreviation: The Rt Hon. or variations) is an honorific Style (form of address), style traditionally applied to certain persons and collective bodies in the United Kingdom, the former British Empire, and the Commonwealt ...

Lord Mayor of London''. One of the world's oldest continuously elected civic offices, it is entirely separate from the directly elected

mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current ...

, a political office controlling a budget which covers the much larger area of

Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...

. The Corporation of London changed its name to the City of London Corporation in 2006, and accordingly the title Lord Mayor of the City of London was introduced, so as to avoid confusion with that of Mayor of London. The legal and commonly used title remains ''Lord Mayor of London''. The

Lord mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

is elected at ''Common Hall'' each year on

Michaelmas Michaelmas ( ; also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels) is a Christian festival observed in many Western Christian liturgical calendars on 29 Se ...

, and takes office on the Friday before the second Saturday in November, at ''The Silent Ceremony''. The

Lord Mayor's Show The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the best-known annual events in London as well as one of the longest-established, dating back to the 13th century. A new lord mayor is appointed every year, and the public parade that takes place as their inaugura ...

is held on the day after taking office; the Lord Mayor, preceded by a procession, travels to the

Royal Courts of Justice The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is a court building in Westminster which houses the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The High Court also sits on circuit and in other major cities. Designed by Ge ...

at the

Strand Strand or The Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * ...

to swear allegiance to the sovereign before the

Justices ''Justice'' (abbreviation: ame ''J.'' and other variations) is an honorific style and title traditionally used to describe a jurist who is currently serving or has served on a supreme court or some equal position. In some countries, a justice ma ...

of the High Court. The Lord Mayor's main role nowadays is to represent, support and promote the businesses and residents in the City of London. Today these businesses are mostly in the financial sector, and the Lord Mayor is regarded as the champion of the entire UK-based financial sector regardless of ownership or location throughout the country. As leader of the Corporation of the City of London, the Lord Mayor serves as the key spokesman for the local authority and also has important ceremonial and social responsibilities. The Lord Mayor is non-affiliated politically, typically delivering many hundreds of speeches and addresses per year and attending many receptions and other events in London and beyond. Incumbents usually make overseas visits under the auspices of the FCDO. The Lord Mayor, ''

ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, or council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by r ...

'' Rector of

City, University of London City, University of London was a public university from 1966 to 2024 in London, England. It merged with St George's, University of London to form City St George's, University of London in August 2024. The names "City, University of London" an ...

and also Admiral of the Port of London, is assisted in day-to-day administration by the Mansion House '

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

s' whose titles include the

City Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated of ...

Sword Bearer A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed tip ...

and Common Crier. Alastair King serves as the 696th Lord Mayor (for 2024–2025). The Lord Mayor is also assisted by

The Venerable ''The Venerable'' often shortened to Venerable is a style, title, or epithet used in some Christianity, Christian churches. The title is often accorded to holy persons for their spiritual perfection and wisdom. Catholic In the Catholic Churc ...

Ray Pentland Raymond Jackson Pentland, (born 14 July 1957) is a British Church of England priest. He is a retired military chaplain, having served as Chaplain-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force and head of its Chaplains Branch from 2009 to 2014. Early life ...

CB QHC as Lord Mayor's

Chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

. The Lord Mayor’s office is also served by Aide de Camp representing the Uniformed Youth Organisations and they will be pleased to assist in the arranging of new affiliations. The Lord Mayor has six individual Cadet ADCs representing the various Uniformed Youth Organisation branches who provide him with a connection to the City Cadet Forces.

Titles and honours

Of the 69 cities in the United Kingdom, the City of London is among the 30 that have lord mayors (or, in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, lords provost). The Lord Mayor is entitled to the prefix

; the same privilege extends only to the lord mayors of

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, Bristol and

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

, and to the lords provost of

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

and

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

. The style is used when referring to the office as opposed to the holder thereof; thus, "The Rt Hon Lord Mayor of London" would be correct, while "The Rt Hon Alastair King" would be incorrect. The latter prefix applies only to

privy counsellors The Privy Council, formally His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its members, known as privy counsellors, are mainly senior politicians who are current or former ...

and peers. A woman who holds the office is also known as a

Lord Mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

. The wife of a male Lord Mayor is styled as

Lady Mayoress Lady mayoress is an official female companion to the lord mayor of a major city in the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland, or a capital city of an Australian state. Traditionally this was the wife of a male mayor. It is not an elected offic ...

, but no equivalent title exists for the husband of a female Lord Mayor. A female Lord Mayor or an unmarried male Lord Mayor may appoint a female consort, usually a fellow member of the Corporation, to the role of Lady Mayoress. In speech, a Lord Mayor is referred to as "My Lord Mayor", and a Lady Mayoress as "My Lady Mayoress". It was once customary for Lord Mayors to be appointed

knights A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

upon taking office and

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

s upon retirement, unless they already held such a title. This custom was followed with a few inconsistencies from the 16th until the 19th centuries; creations became more regular from 1889 onward. From 1964 onward, the regular creation of hereditary titles such as baronetcies was phased out, so subsequent Lord Mayors were offered knighthoods (and, until 1993, most often as Knight Grand Cross of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(GBE)). Since 1993, Lord Mayors have not automatically received any national honour upon appointment; instead, they have been made

knights bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are th ...

upon retirement, although Gordon Brown's Government broke with that tradition by making

Ian Luder Ian David Luder (born 13 April 1951) is a former Lord Mayor of London, serving from 2008 to 2009. Biography Born into a Jewish family as the son of a mathematics teacher, Luder attended The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, Elstree before re ...

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, after his term of office in 2009, and the following year

Nick Anstee Nicholas John Anstee (born 27 May 1958, Gloucestershire) is the former Lord Mayor of the City of London, Lord Mayor of the City of London; he was the 682nd person to serve as mayor and his term was from 2009 to 2010. He served as Alderman for t ...

declined offers of an honour. Furthermore, foreign heads of state visiting the City of London on a UK state visit, diplomatically bestow upon the Lord Mayor one of their suitable national honours. For example, in 2001, Sir David Howard was created a Grand Cordon (First Class) of the

Order of Independence Order of Independence or Independence Order () is a Vietnamese decoration. Criteria The Vietnamese government states that the decoration "shall be conferred or posthumously Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award, an award, prize or med ...

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

by King Abdullah II. Recently Lord Mayors have been appointed at the beginning of their term of office knights or dames of St John, as a mark of respect, by the late Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, Sovereign Head of the

Order of St John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there u ...

until her death in 2022.

History

The office of Mayor was instituted in 1189, the first holder of the office being

Henry Fitz-Ailwin de Londonestone Henry fitz Ailwin de Londonstane (1135– 19 September 1212) was an English merchant and landowner who served as the first Lord Mayor of London from 1189 to 1212. In office from about 1189 until his death in 1212, he was the only mayor t ...

. The Mayor of the City of London has been elected by the City, rather than appointed by the sovereign, ever since a royal charter providing for a Mayor was issued by King John in 1215. The title "Lord Mayor" came to be used after 1354, when it was granted to Thomas Legge (then serving his second of two terms) by

King Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

. Lord Mayors are elected for one-year terms; by custom, they do not now normally serve more than one consecutive term. Numerous individuals have served multiple terms in office, including: As Mayor * 24 terms: Sir Henry FitzAlan (1189–1212) * 9 terms: Ralph de Sandwich (1285–1289, 1289–1292) * 8 terms:

Gregory de Rokesley Gregory de Rokesley (died 1291) was an English goldsmith, Mayor of London and Warden of the Mint. He was originally from Rokesley in Kent and was a wealthy wool merchant and goldsmith. In 1263, 1265 and 1270, he served as Sheriff of London and t ...

(1274–1280, 1284) * 7 terms: Andrew Buckerel (1231–1237);

John le Breton John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

(1289, 1293–1298);

John le Blund Sir John le Blund was Mayor of London, England for eight consecutive years. He was a member of the London Company of Drapers and became an alderman of the city in 1291. He was elected Mayor from 1301 to 1307. He was involved in investigation of ...

(1301–1307) * 6 terms: Richard le Ranger (1222–1226, 1238); Hamo de Chigwell (1319, 1321, 1322, 1324, 1325, 1327) * 5 terms:

Serlo le Mercer Serlo le Mercer was Mayor of London for five terms in the early 1210s. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers and was one of the negotiators of Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter"), sometimes spelled Magna ...

(1214, 1218–1221) As Lord Mayor * Sir Nicholas Brembre (1377, 1383–1385; 4 terms) * Sir Richard ('Dick') Whittington (1397, 1398, 1406 and 1419; 4 terms) * William Sevenoke (1418) * Sir

Robert Fowler Robert or Bobby Fowler may refer to: * Robert Fowler (archbishop of Dublin) (1724–1801), bishop in the Church of Ireland * Robert Fowler (artist) (1853–1926), English artist * Robert Fowler (athlete) (1882–1957), American marathoner * Robert ...

(elected in 1883 and in 1885). * Sir William Russell (2019–2021, 2 terms) Almost 700 people have served as Lord Mayor. Dame

Mary Donaldson Mary (born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson; 5 February 1972) is Queen of Denmark as the wife of King Frederik X. Mary met Frederik (then Crown Prince of Denmark) while attending the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. They married on 14 May 2004 at ...

, elected in 1983, and Dame

Fiona Woolf Dame Catherine Fiona Woolf, (''née'' Swain; born 11 May 1948) is a British corporate lawyer. She served as the Lord Mayor of London (2013–14), acting as global ambassador for UK-based financial and business services. She has held and still ...

, elected in 2013, are the only women to have held the office. In June 2024, the Court of Aldermen confirmed that Alderwoman Dame Susan Langley would be supported for the Mayoralty in 2025–2026, subject to election at Common Hall in 2025. Some Lord Mayors in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, such as Sir

Edward Dalyngrigge Sir Edward Dalyngrigge, also Dallingridge or Dalyngridge ( 1346 – 1393/94), was an English knight and politician who was a Member of Parliament and built Bodiam Castle in Sussex, England. By 1367, he had been knighted. Early life Dalyngri ...

(1392), did not live in London. Since 1435, the Lord Mayor has been chosen from amongst the

aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking membe ...

of the City of London.

Election

The Lord Mayor is elected at Common Hall, comprising

liverymen A livery company is a type of guild or professional association that originated in medieval times in London, England. Livery companies comprise London's ancient and modern trade associations and guilds, almost all of which are Style (form of a ...

belonging to all of the City's

livery companies A livery company is a type of guild or professional association that originated in medieval times in London, England. Livery companies comprise London's ancient and modern trade associations and guilds, almost all of which are Style (form of a ...

. Common Hall is summoned by the sitting Lord Mayor; it meets at

Guildhall A guildhall, also known as a guild hall or guild house, is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Europe, with many surviving today in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commo ...

Michaelmas Day Michaelmas ( ; also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels) is a Christian festival observed in many Western Christian liturgical calendars on 29 Se ...

(29 September) or on the closest weekday. Voting is by show of hands; if any liveryman so demands, balloting is held a fortnight later. The qualification to stand for election is that one must have served as a City sheriff and be a current alderman. Since 1385, prior service as

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

has been mandatory for election to the Lord Mayoralty. Two sheriffs are selected annually by Common Hall, which meets on

Midsummer's Day Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer, taking place on or near the date of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; the longest day of the year. The name "midsummer" mainly refers to summer solstice festivals of European or ...

for this purpose. By an ordinance of 1435, the Lord Mayor must be chosen from amongst the

of the City of London. Those on the electoral roll of each of the City's 25 wards select one alderman, who formerly held office for life or until resignation. Each alderman must now submit for re-election at least once in every six years. The Lord Mayor is sworn in each November, on the day before the Lord Mayor's Show (''see below''). The ceremony is known as the "Silent Ceremony" because, aside from a short declaration by the incoming Lord Mayor, no speeches are made. At Guildhall, the outgoing Lord Mayor transfers the mayoral insignia – the

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

, the purse, the

sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...

and the mace — to the incoming Lord Mayor.

Lord Mayor's Show

The day after being sworn into office, the Lord Mayor leads a procession from the City of London to the Royal Courts of Justice in the

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a London borough with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in Greater London, England. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It contains a large par ...

, where the Lord Mayor swears allegiance to the Crown. This pageantry has evolved into one of London's longest-running and most popular annual events, known as the "Lord Mayor's Show". The Lord Mayor travels in the City's

state coach A state coach, also known as a gala coach, is a highly decorative ceremonial Coach (carriage), coach used in Europe by a monarch or head of state on state occasions. A four-wheeled vehicle for four passengers, it may be drawn at a walk by six o ...

that was built in 1757 at a cost of £1,065.0s.3d. Nowadays, this festival combines traditional British pageantry with the element of

carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

, and since 1959 it has been held on the second Saturday in November. Participants include the livery companies, bands and members of the military, charities and schools. In the evening, a fireworks display is held.

Role

2011 Lord Mayor emerging from Royal Courts of Justice 2011

The Lord Mayor is a member of the City of London's governing body, the

(incorporated as ''The Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London''). The Corporation comprises the

Court of Aldermen The Court of Aldermen forms part of the senior governance of the City of London Corporation. It comprises twenty-five Aldermen of the City of London, presided over by the Lord Mayor (becoming senior Alderman during his or her year of office). ...

and the

Court of Common Council The Court of Common Council is the primary decision-making body of the City of London Corporation. It meets nine times per year. Most of its work is carried out by committees. City of London Corporation elections , Elections are held at least eve ...

; the former includes only the aldermen, while the latter includes both aldermen and common councilmen. The Lord Mayor belongs to and presides over both bodies. The main role of the Lord Mayor is to represent, support and promote all aspects of the UK's financial service industries, including maritime. This is undertaken as head of the City of London Corporation and includes hosting visiting foreign government ministers, business people and dignitaries as well as conducting foreign visits of their own. Banquets hosted by the Lord Mayor serve as opportunities for senior government figures to deliver major speeches. At the Lord Mayor's Banquet (held on the Monday after the Lord Mayor's Show), the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

delivers the

keynote A keynote in public speaking is a talk that establishes a main underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address. The keynote establishes the framework fo ...

address. At the Bankers' Dinner in June, the

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and the head of HM Treasury, His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, t ...

delivers a speech known as the "Mansion House Speech", which takes its name from the Lord Mayor's residence. At the Easter Banquet, also hosted each year at the Mansion House, the Foreign Secretary addresses an audience of international dignitaries. The Lord Mayor takes part in major state occasions; for example, in 2013, the then-Lord Mayor, Sir

Roger Gifford Sir Michael Roger Gifford KStJ KNO (3 August 1955 – 25 May 2021) was a British banker in London who served as the 685th Lord Mayor of London from 2012 to 2013. Gifford was the UK head of Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) from 2000 and was ...

, carried the

Mourning Sword The City of London Swords are five two-handed ceremonial swords belonging to the Corporation of London, namely the Mourning (or Black) Sword, the Pearl Sword, the State (or Sunday) Sword, the Old Bailey Sword and the Mansion House Justice Room ...

at Margaret Thatcher's funeral, processing ahead of the Queen and

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...

, into

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

. The Lord Mayor performs numerous other functions, including serving as the

chief magistrate A chief magistrate is a public official, executive or judicial, whose office is the highest in its class. Historically, the two different meanings of magistrate have often overlapped and refer to, as the case may be, to a major political and admi ...

of the City of London, admiral of the Port of London, rector of

, president of

Gresham College Gresham College is an institution of higher learning located at Barnard's Inn Hall off Holborn in Central London, England that does not accept students or award degrees. It was founded in 1597 under the Will (law), will of Sir Thomas Gresham, ...

, president of City of London

Reserve Forces and Cadets Association Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Associations (RFCAs) are Crown bodies in the United Kingdom which give advice and assistance to the Defence Council, and to the Army, Royal Navy and RAF, on matters that concern reserves and cadets. They are contracted ...

, and trustee of

. The Lord Mayor also heads the City's Commission of Lieutenancy, which represents the sovereign in the City of London (other counties usually have

lord lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ov ...

s, as opposed to Commissions), and annually attends a meeting of the Treloar Trust (named after Sir William Treloar, Lord Mayor in 1906), in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

. The Treloar Trust runs two educational sites for disabled children: a school and college.

Rights and privileges

The residence of the Lord Mayor is known as the Mansion House. The establishment of the residence was considered after the

Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old London Wall, Roman city wall, while also extendi ...

(1666), but construction did not commence until 1739. It was first occupied by a Lord Mayor in 1752, when Sir Crispin Gascoigne took up residence. The official car of the Lord Mayor is a

Rolls-Royce Phantom VI The Rolls-Royce Phantom VI is a British limousine made from 1968 to 1990 by Rolls-Royce. A total of 374 Phantom VIs were made, of which fewer than 40 were manufactured in the last decade of production. The exterior is almost identical to the ...

with registration number LM 0. In each of the eighteen courtrooms of the

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

, the centre of the judges' bench is reserved for the Lord Mayor, in his or her capacity as chief justice of the City of London. The presiding judge therefore sits to one side. It is sometimes asserted that the Lord Mayor may exclude the monarch from the City of London. This legend is based on the misinterpretation of the ceremony observed each time the sovereign enters the City at Temple Bar, when the Lord Mayor presents the City's Pearl Sword to the sovereign as a symbol of the latter's overlordship. The monarch does not, as is often purported, wait for the Lord Mayor's permission to enter the City. When the sovereign enters the City, a short ceremony usually takes place where the Lord Mayor presents a sword to the monarch, symbolically surrendering their authority. If the sovereign is attending a service at St Paul's Cathedral this ceremony would take place there rather than at the boundary of the City, simply for convenience. The importance of the office is reflected in the composition of the

Accession Council In the United Kingdom, the Accession Council is a ceremonial body which assembles in St James's Palace in London upon the death of a monarch to make formal proclamation of the accession of the successor to the throne. Under the terms of the Act o ...

, a body which proclaims the accession of new sovereigns. The Council includes the Lord Mayor and aldermen of London, as well as members of the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

and privy councillors. At the

coronation banquet The coronation of the monarch of the United Kingdom is an initiation ceremony in which they are formally invested with regalia and crowned at Westminster Abbey. It corresponds to the coronations that formerly took place in other European monarc ...

which follows, the Lord Mayor has the right to assist the royal butler. The same privilege is held by the

lord mayor of Oxford The earliest recorded mayor of Oxford in England was Laurence Kepeharm (1205–1207?). On 23 October 1962 the city was granted the honour of electing a Lord Mayor. Notable figures who have been Lord Mayor of Oxford include J. N. L. Baker (196 ...

, while the

mayor of Winchester The Office of Mayor of Winchester is the second oldest mayoralty in England, dating back to the period when Winchester was the capital of Wessex and England. The Mayor of Winchester thus stands second only to the Lord Mayor of the City of London ...

may assist the royal cook. Such privileges have not been exercised since 1821, when the

(celebrating the coronation of

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 29 January 1820 until his death in 1830. At the time of his accession to the throne, h ...

) was held.

Official dress

On formal occasions the Lord Mayor wears traditional black velvet

court dress Court dress comprises the style of clothes and other attire prescribed for members of court, courts of law. Depending on the country and jurisdiction's traditions, members of the court (judges, magistrates, and so on) may wear formal robes, g ...

consisting of a coat, waistcoat and knee breeches with steel cut buttons. This is worn with black silk stockings, patent court shoes with steel buckles, a white shirt with lace cuffs and a large jabot stock. This form of court dress is worn by all Lord Mayors regardless of gender. When outdoors, the Lord Mayor wears a black beaver plush

tricorne hat The tricorne or tricorn is a style of hat in a triangular shape, which became popular in Europe during the 18th century, falling out of style by the early 1800s. The word "tricorne" was not widely used until the mid-19th century. During the 18th ...

trimmed with black ostrich feathers and a steel 'loop' for the cockade. Traditionally, this has been made by Patey's, and re-commissioned by the

Worshipful Company of Feltmakers The Worshipful Company of Feltmakers is one of the livery companies of the City of London. The Feltmakers, or makers of felt hats, were incorporated by letters patent granted by James I in 1604. They received an extended royal charter in 1667. T ...

for each incumbent Lord Mayor. Since 1545 the Lord Mayor has worn a Royal Livery

Collar of Esses A livery collar or chain of office is a collar (jewelry), collar or heavy Link chain, chain, usually of gold, worn as insignia of office or a mark of fealty or other association in Europe from the Middle Ages onwards. One of the oldest and best- ...

. The collar's origins are not royal, Sir John Alleyn, twice Lord Mayor, having bequeathed it to the next Lord Mayor and his successors "to use and occupie yerely at and uppon principall and festivall dayes". It was enlarged in 1567, and in its present shape has 28 Esses (the Lancastrian ‘S’), Tudor roses and the tasselled knots of the

Garter A garter is an article of clothing comprising a narrow band of fabric fastened about the leg to keep up stockings. In the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, they were tied just below the knee, where the leg is most slender, to keep the stocking f ...

(alternating) and also the

Portcullis A portcullis () is a heavy, vertically closing gate typically found in medieval fortifications. It consists of a latticed Grille (architecture), grille made of wood and/or metal, which slides down grooves inset within each jamb of the gateway. ...

, from which hangs the Mayoral Jewel. The collar is worn over whatever the Lord Mayor may be wearing, secured onto their underdress or State Robes by means of black or white silk satin ribbons on the shoulders.

Robes

As an

alderman of the City of London The Court of Aldermen forms part of the senior governance of the City of London Corporation. It comprises twenty-five Aldermen of the City of London, presided over by the Lord Mayor (becoming senior Alderman during his or her year of office). T ...

the Lord Mayor has a scarlet gown and a violet gown, which are identical to those worn by their fellow aldermen except that they are trained. The violet robe is worn at most formal meetings of the Corporation with the scarlet robe substituted on certain days or occasions as directed by the City Ceremonial Book. For state occasions when the monarch is present, the Lord Mayor wears a crimson velvet robe of state trimmed with an ermine cape and facings, similar to a royal earl's coronation robe. It is tied with gold cordons, and dates from the reign of George IV. On other ceremonial occasions a black silk damask robe trimmed with gold lace is worn, of a design the same as that of the

Lord Chancellor The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...

. This is known as the Entertaining Gown. At coronations, the Lord Mayor wears a special coronation robe: a mantle of scarlet superfine wool trimmed with bars of gold lace and ermine and lined with white silk satin; they also carry the

Crystal Sceptre The Crystal Sceptre (occasionally described as a ceremonial mace, mace) is part of the regalia of the Lord Mayor of London. It was presented to the City of London by King Henry V of England, Henry V in return for having provided the king with 10, ...

as a baton of office. After the coronation, the incumbent may keep their coronation robe as a personal token. A plain black gown is worn by the Lord Mayor in times of national mourning. File: Lord Mayor of London's coronation robes.JPG, The Lord Mayor wearing the coronation robe and carrying the

at George IV's

coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...

File:George Wyatt Truscott Vanity Fair 4 November 1908.JPG, The scarlet robe, with train File:Joseph Cockfield Dimsdale Vanity Fair 23 October 1902.jpg, The Entertaining Robe File:Arms of William Russell as Lord Mayor of London.svg, Lord Mayor Russell's personal

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

File:Mainelli_Arms_Impaled_City_of_London.svg, Lord Mayor Mainelli's personal

Notes

References

City of London Corporation home page
*"London (England)." (1911). ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 11th ed. London: Cambridge University Press.
"The Lord Mayor's Show Saturday 13th November 2004." (2004).
*"Temple Bar." (1911). ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 11th ed. London: Cambridge University Press. *

External links

*
BBC – Lord Mayor's Show
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lord Mayor of London Local government in London * 1189 establishments in England City of London Politics of the United Kingdom People associated with City, University of London People associated with the Royal National College for the Blind Ceremonial officers in the United Kingdom