Lord Mayor Show

The wonderful show returns once more running from 10.45am to 3pm. Join us for this living history - did you know: London in 1215 was already an independent-minded place; large, rich, well-connected and hard to rule. It was the largest city north of the Alps, with nearly 15,000 residents*, and its power was growing. At the same time King John’s disastrous reign was falling apart. His armies were retreating in France, he was running out of money and his Barons were on the edge of open revolt. The city of London, squeezed by the King’s taxes and frequently held hostage in baronial disputes, had been trying since the late 1100s to organise itself into a mediæval commune. The King may have thought he was creating a powerful new ally when in 1215 he gave his support to the commune and issued a Royal Charter allowing the City to elect its own Mayor every year. There was an important condition. Every year the newly elected Mayor must leave the safety of the City, travel upriver to the small town of Westminster and swear loyalty to the Crown. The Lord Mayor has now made that journey for over 800 years, despite plagues and fires and countless wars, and pledged his (and her) loyalty to 34 kings and queens of England. This procession is now one of the grandest free shows you can see!