★ "Alderman Fiona Woolf, newly elected Lord Mayor of the City of London greet the crowds" 9 November 2013, London. ★ Lord Mayor's Show: The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the longest-established and best-known annual events in London which dates back over 500 years. The Lord Mayor after whom the show is named is the Lord Mayor of the City of London, a city and ceremonial county within Greater London and the historic centre of the metropolis as well as its main modern 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 or her inauguration reflects the fact that this was once one of the most prominent offices in England. The position of Lord Mayor has a role in the Square Mile, whilst the Mayor of London (a role which has existed only since 2000) is a different individual entirely, namely the elected head of the Greater London Authority. Lord Mayor David Wotton and some of his entourage emerging from the Royal Courts of Justice, at the end of half-time during the 2011 Lord Mayor's Show The Lord Mayor's Show is centred on a street parade which in its modern form is a 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 Guildhall in the centre of the City of London to the Royal Courts of Justice on the edge of the City of Westminster, where the Lord Mayor swears his or her allegiance to the Crown. ★ Origin and date of the show The office of Lord Mayor dates from 1189 and it was a requirement of the charter establishing it that the mayor travelled the royal enclave at Westminster to present himself to the monarch's representatives, the senior judges as Barons of the Exchequer to take an oath of loyalty to the Sovereign upon beginning his term. The event is officially listed in the City's Civic Calendar as 'The Procession to the Royal Courts of Justice and Presentation of the Lord Mayor to the Chief Justices'; when the Royal Courts moved from Wesminster to the Strand location in 1882 the route was shortened. Originally this journey was mostly made by barge on the River Thames, the usual method of transport for this route in those days. Pageantry and display gradually grew around the trip, comparable to the far less frequent Royal Entry parades that usually followed a coronation or royal wedding, and by the 16th century the "show" was firmly established as a major entertainment for Londoners. In London, the show occurred annually on 29 October.[3] In 1751, Great Britain replaced the Julian calendar with the Gregorian calendar; the Lord Mayor's Show was then moved to 9 November. In 1959, another change was made: the Lord Mayor's Show is now held on the second Saturday in November. The Lord Mayor's Show has regularly been held on the scheduled day; it has not been moved since 1852, when the show made way for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington's funeral. The show was not interrupted by the Second World War. The Lord Mayor has been making that journey every year for 477 years, surviving plague and fire and countless wars and insurrections. The modern Lord Mayor's procession is a direct descendant of that first journey to Westminster. ★ The Lord Mayor of the City of London; The role and purpose: The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of the City of London is the official title for the head of the City of London Corporation, which provides local, policing and other services for the Square Mile. The Lord Mayor presides over its governing bodies, the Court of Aldermen and the Court of Common Council and within the City, only the Sovereign takes precedence. Outside the City the Lord Mayor takes precedence with, but after, members of the Cabinets. On behalf of the Sovereign and the Government the Lord Mayor regularly acts as a host for hospitality provided by the City of London Corporation for visiting heads of state and foreign dignitaries. A dedicated ambassador, supporting and promoting the City as the world leader in international finance and business services, the Lord Mayor travels extensively, in liaison with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, fostering goodwill and boosting British trade, particularly the markets and services of the City.

• published: 10 Nov 2013
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