Back in the early-1200s, then King John was facing the threat of a rebellion among wealthy merchants in London. In an attempt to defuse the situation, the king issued a Royal Charter declaring that the City of London could elect its own Lord Mayor – the only caveat was that the Lord Mayor needed to travel to Westminster, then several miles outside of town, to pledge allegiance to the king upon taking office.
Today, more than 800 years later, it’s a tradition that is still upheld – the annual Lord Mayor’s Show is a gigantic parade. Participants range from the serious (stony-faced soldiers with polished bayonets gleaming in the sun) to the whimsical (groups of dancers dressed as fairies in rainbow costumes prancing down the street). Many, many bands take place, as do a variety of horse-drawn vehicles.
The parade itself is now longer than its route, and the patient onlooker has the opportunity to see everything twice – once as the Lord Mayor travels to pledge allegiance, and once as he returns to Mansion House
