Did you know that London has two Mayors? Whilst you’ve probably heard of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, how many of you can name the Lord Mayor of London? (Hint: it’s the man or woman who leads the City of London, and takes care of “the UK’s financial and professional services sector”). If your answer is “Nicholas Lyons, but only for another three days”, then congratulations, you’re spot on. On Saturday, November 11, London gets a new Lord Mayor – and naturally, the city is celebrating with a party.
London rarely needs an excuse for a jolly old knees up, with “old” being the operative word. The Show dates back to the early 13th century, making it the oldest civic parade. The new Lord Mayor will be the 695th that has paraded through the City of London to the Royal Courts of Justice.
This year, Alderman Michael Mainelli (an American-born scientist, account and economist) will undertake the journey to the mayoralty, joining the many men and two women (I know, right?) who came before him. The pageant involves 7000 people, 250 horses, 60 decorated floats. The showstopper, however, is the Lord Mayor’s blingtastic golden State Coach (which is the oldest ceremonial vehicle in regular use in the whole world). So yes, it really is quite the spectacle. It’s also free to attend, which is just the cherry on top of an already rather delicious cake.
This year’s show coincides with Armistice Day, so unlike other years, the schedule will begin with a two minute silence at 11am. The parade will then begin at 11.03am (and not a moment later), leaving from Mansion House – the Lord Mayor’s official residence. The three-mile procession will last around an hour and a half, end at the Royal Courts of Justice at 12.32pm (tell me the military are involved in this procession without telling me the military are involved in this procession – am I right?).
In previous years, there’s also been a Lord Mayor Show’s ‘Ghost Parade’; a non-publicised run-through of the event taking place in the early hours of the morning. The horses, majestic coach and Lord Mayor are usually all in attendance so if you fancy getting up at the crack of dawn, it might be an interesting watch.
Expect a morning of noise, colour and true joy, but don’t panic if you can’t make the Lord Mayor’s Show in person as it will be aired on the BBC and online for you to enjoy from the comfort of your sofa with a nice cuppa in hand.
Find out more and plan your visit here.
Also published on Medium.
