City of London Corporation - Ceremonies and Traditions

Ceremonies and Traditions

The City of London has a strong collection of ceremonies. Its policy head says "it is undoubtedly the case that we have more tradition and pageantry than most", for example the yearly Lord Mayor's Show.

Tax journalist Nicholas Shaxson said: "Whenever the Queen makes a state entry to the City, she meets a red cord raised by City police at Temple Bar, and then engages in a col­ourful ceremony involving the lord mayor, his sword, assorted aldermen and sheriffs, and a character called the Remembrancer. In this ceremony, the lord mayor recognises the Queen's authority, but the relationship is complex: as the corporation itself says: "The right of the City to run its own affairs was gradually won as concessions were gained from the Crown.""

There are eight formal ceremonies involving the Corporation:-

1. Midsummer Common Hall for the election of the Sheriffs (24 June or nearest week day.)
2. Admission of the Sheriffs, their oath taking (the nearest week day to the Michaelmas date)
3. Michaelmas Common Hall for the election of Lord Mayor (29 September or nearest week day.)
4. Admission of the Lord Mayor, the so called 'Silent Ceremony' (Friday before the Lord Mayor's Show)
5. Lord Mayor's Show; formally, "the Procession of the Lord Mayor for Presentation to the Lord Chief Justice and Queen's Remembrancer at the Royal Courts of Justice". (the Saturday after the second Friday in November)
6. The Ward Motes; elections in the City Wards and general meeting of the Ward in non-election years. (third Friday in March)
7. The Spital Sermon; literally a Sermon in the Guildhall Church, delivered by a senior ecclesiastic on behalf of the Christ's Hospital and Bridwell Hospital ('King Edward's School') (a day in Schools Term between March and May)
8. United Guilds Service involves all of the Livery Companies Masters, the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, the Aldermen and High Officers. This is the newest having been instituted in 1943, it is the resonsibility of a special trust fund operating from Fishmongers Hall. (usually in March but not conflicting with Holy Week).