This is a list of some people who have been awarded Honorary Freedom (or Freedom Honoris Causa) of the City of London. This is different, and much rarer, than Freeman of the City of London who are members of a Worshipful Company. Freemen usually apply for the Freedom of the City (and about 1800 per year so do) and pay the requisite 'fine' for this, honorary members are invited by the Court of Common Council to receive, the Freedom. It is the highest honour which is in the power of the City of London to bestow on someone who is not a member of a Worshipful Company. However, for Freemen, the ultimate honour is to become a Liveryman. The presentation ceremony for both types of Freemen usually takes place in the Great Hall of the Guildhall before the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Common Councilmen and invited guests. The presentation on these occasions is made by the Chamberlain of London, and is usually followed by a Guildhall or Mansion House banquet. The first to be so honored was William Pitt the Elder in 1757. For many years, it was the custom to present the Freedom in specially commissioned and unique gold or silver caskets, the design of which was inspired by the background and the achievements of the individual to which it was given.
There is a long standing tradition of admitting women to the Freedom. Although nowadays usually called Freemen as well, the historically correct way of referring to them is: Free Sisters.
In addition to those below, all monarchs and many other members of the British Royal Family have been awarded the honour.
- Peter Ackroyd (awarded on 15.12.2006)
- George Arthur
- Robert Baden-Powell
- Raymond Baxter (awarded in 1978)
- Edward Berry
- William Booth (awarded on 26.10.1906) See also: Report on Salvation Army website
- Louis Botha (awarded on 16.04.1907)
- James Brooke (awarded in 1847)
- Arnold Brown (General of The Salvation Army)
- George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
- Angela Burdett-Coutts (awarded on 18.07.1872) She was the first woman to be awarded the honorary Freedom.
- Austen Chamberlain (awarded on 25.03.1926)
- Joseph Chamberlain (awarded on 13.02.1902)
- Jimmy Choo (awarded on 14.11.2006)
- Winston Churchill (awarded on 30.06.1943)
- Shaw Clifton (awarded on 13.09.2007)
- Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th Baronet (awarded on 09.03.1876)
- Frederick Cook (awarded on 15.10.1909)
- Randall Davidson (awarded in 1928)
- Benjamin Disraeli (awarded on 03.08.1878)
- Alexander Downer, Sr. (awarded in 1965)
- Robin Dunster (awarded on 13.09.2007)
- Dwight D. Eisenhower (awarded on 12.06.1945)
- Giuseppe Garibaldi
- Bill Gates
- Chris Pavlou
- George, Duke of Cambridge, Prince (awarded on 04.11.1857)
- Ron Goodwin
- Ulysses S. Grant (awarded on 15.06.1877)
- Alan Greenspan (awarded on 12.2005)
- Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey (awarded on 23.01.1912)
- Paul Humphreys (awarded in 1996)
- Marjorie Jackson-Nelson (awarded on 24.06.2005)
- Edward Jenner
- Digby Jones
- Salar Jung I
- Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener (awarded on 04.11.1898)
- Helmut Kohl (awarded on 18.02.1998 'as the first European leader').
- Lee Kuan Yew
- Wilfrid Laurier (awarded on 16.04.1907)
- Lasse Lehtinen (awarded on 21.09.2007)
- Ferdinand de Lesseps
- William Lidderdale (awarded in 1891)
- Charles Lindbergh
- David Lloyd George (awarded on 27.04.1917)
- Nelson Mandela (awarded 10.07.1996) See: Acceptance Speech
- Francis Leopold McClintock (awarded in 05.1860)
- Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner (awarded on 23.07.1901)
- Ed Mirvish
- Cormac Murphy-O'Connor
- Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala
- Jawaharlal Nehru
- Florence Nightingale (awarded 16.08.1908) She was the second woman who was awarded honorary Freedom.
- Otto von Habsburg (awarded on 11.07.2007)
- Luciano Pavarotti (awarded on 12.11.2005)
- Frederick Penny, 1st Viscount Marchwood
- William Pitt the Elder (received the first honorary Freedom in 1757)
- William Pitt the Younger
- William Reid (VC)
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Theodore Roosevelt (awarded on 31.05.1910)
- Salisbury, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of (awarded on 03.08.1878)
- John Ross (Arctic explorer) (awarded in 03.1834)
- James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez
- Jan Smuts (awarded on 01.05.1917)
- Henry Morton Stanley (awarded on 13.01.1887)
- Eric Sykes
- Margaret Thatcher (awarded on 26.05.1989) See: Acceptance Speech
- Robin Tilbrook (awarded on 27.09.2011) See:
- Bernard Weatherill
- William Fenwick Williams
- Woodrow Wilson (awarded on 28.12.1918)
- Bob Winter (awarded on 10.09.2007)
- Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley
- J.K. Rowling (awarded on 8.05.2012)
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
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