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Event Information:
The Lord Mayor's
Show is one of the longest established and
best known annual events in London which
dates back to 1535. The Lord Mayor in question
is that of the City of London, the historic
centre of London that is now the metropolis's
financial district, informally known as
the Square Mile. A new Lord Mayor is appointed
every year and the public parade that is
made of his inauguration reflects the fact
that this was once one of the most prominent
offices in England. The ancient position
of Lord Mayor of London has a role in the
Square Mile, whilst the Mayor of London
(which has existed only since 2000) is a
different individual entirely, namely the
elected head of the Greater London Authority.
The event
is a street parade which in its modern form
is a fairly light-hearted combination of
traditional British pageantry and elements
of carnival. On the day after being sworn
in, the Lord Mayor and several others participate
in a procession from the City of London
to the Royal Courts of Justice in the City
of Westminster, where the Lord Mayor swears
his allegiance to the Crown. Formerly, the
route was varied each year so that the procession
could pass through the Lord Mayor's home
ward; since 1952, however, the route has
been fixed. The Lord Mayor rode on horseback
or went on a barge via the River Thames,
based on the route chosen. The river transport
for the Lord Mayor's Show gave rise to the
word float, used in the context of parades.
The procession
begins at Guildhall; the Lord Mayor joins
the rear from his official residence, Mansion
House, having watched a flypast. Along the
route, the Lord Mayor stops at St Paul's
Cathedral in order to receive a blessing
from the Dean on the Cathedral steps. On
his arrival at the Royal Courts of Justice
in Westminster, he takes the oath of allegiance;
the return procession then recongregates
on Aldwych, outside the London School of
Economics stretching down to the River,
before it begins from Temple Place. When
returning, as when going to the Royal Courts
of Justice, the Lord Mayor joins the back
of the procession. Upon his return to Mansion
House, members of the City of London Corporation
welcome him.
The parade,
which begins at about eleven o'clock in
the forenoon, concludes at about half past
two in the afternoon. The procession is
over three miles (roughly five kilometres)
long, but the route itself is much shorter;
the head of the procession reaches the end
of the route before the Lord Mayor even
leaves his home. In the evening, a fireworks
display is held.
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