Lord Mayor of London facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Not to be confused with Mayor of London.
Lord Mayor of City of London
Incumbent
Roger Gifford
since 2012
Residence Mansion House
Appointer Liverymen of the City of London Livery Companies
Term length 1 year
Inaugural holder Henry Fitz-Ailwin de Londonestone
Formation 1189
Website www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
Lord Mayor of London - John Stuttard - Nov 2006
Lord Mayor of London John Stuttard during the parade on November 11th, 2006
Lord Mayor of London's coronation robes
The Lord Mayor bears his mace at coronations.

The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of London is the Mayor of the City of London and head of the Corporation of London. The Lord Mayor of London is not the same person as the Mayor of London; The Lord Mayor is an officer only of the City of London. The Mayor of London governs the much larger area of Greater London.

The Lord Mayor is elected each year at the end of September or the beginning of October, and takes office in November. On the day after taking office, the Lord Mayor's Show is held. The Lord Mayor's role is mostly ceremonial and social, not political, although he does promote London's business credentials abroad. The Lord Mayor of London is also the chancellor of the City University of London.

The Lord Mayor for 2013-2014 is Fiona Woolf.

Titles and honours

Lord Mayor, 1881
Portrait of Lord Mayor of London William McArthur, by Leslie Ward, 1881

Of the 66 cities in the United Kingdom, the City of London is among the 30 that have Lord Mayors (or, in Scotland, Lord Provosts). The Lord Mayor is entitled to the style The Right Honourable; the same privilege extends only to the Lord Mayors of Bristol, York, Cardiff and Belfast, and to the Lord Provosts of Edinburgh and Glasgow. The style, however, is used when referring to the office and not to the person; "The Rt Hon The Lord Mayor of London" would be correct, while "The Rt Hon John Smith" would be incorrect.

A woman who holds the office is also known as a Lord Mayor. A male Lord Mayor's wife is known as a Lady Mayoress. In speech, a Lord Mayor is referred to as "My Lord Mayor", and a Lady Mayoress as "My Lady Mayoress".

It was once use for Lord Mayors to be created knights when they took office and baronets when they retired. The custom was applied inconsistently from the sixteenth until the nineteenth centuries; creations became more regular from 1889 onwards. From 1964 onwards, the regular creation of hereditary dignities such as baronetcies stopped, but Lord Mayors continued to be granted knighthoods (usually of the rank of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire) until 1993. Since 1993, Lord Mayors have not received any automatic honours upon appointment.

Other functions

The Lord Mayor is also

  • Chief Magistrate of the City of London
  • Admiral of the Port of London
  • Chancellor of City University
  • President of the City of London Reserve Forces and Cadets Association
  • Trustee of St Paul's Cathedral
  • Ambassador for the London Olympics Team 2012
  • de facto Lord Lieutenant for the City, as he also presides over Her Majesty's Commission of Lieutenancy for the City of London
  • A link with the Livery Companies of London

Related pages

Images for kids

  • Lord Mayor's Show (Canaletto)

    In 1747, the Lord Mayor proceeded to Westminster Hall via barge on the River Thames.

  • William McArthur, Vanity Fair, 1881-10-08

    Sir William McArthur, Lord Mayor of London, caricatured by Leslie Ward, 1881

  • Admission ticket to Lord Mayor Thomas Gabriel's reception of H.I.M. The Sultan Abd-ul-Aziz Khan at The Guildhall, 18 July 1867 issued to the Chairman of P. & O. Navigation Company

    Copy of admission ticket as issued to the Chairman of P & O Navigation Company for Lord Mayor Sir Thomas Gabriel's reception of the Sultan Abd-ul-Aziz Khan at Guildhall, 18 July 1867

  • LordMayorprocession2011

    The Doggett's Coat & Badgemen, State Coach and Company of Pikemen and Musketeers of the Honourable Artillery Company) awaiting the Lord Mayor outside the Royal Courts of Justice on 12 November 2011

  • 2011 Lord Mayor emerging from Royal Courts of Justice 2011

    Lord Mayor David Wootton and entourage emerging from the Royal Courts of Justice, at the end of half-time during the 2011 Lord Mayor's Show

  • Hans Holbein, the Younger - Sir Thomas More - Google Art Project

    The Lord Mayor's Collar of Esses may have once been used as the symbol of the office of Lord Chancellor by Sir Thomas More.

  • Gavyn Arthur

    Lord Mayor wearing the state robe over court dress

  • George Wyatt Truscott Vanity Fair 4 November 1908

    The scarlet robe, with train

  • Joseph Cockfield Dimsdale Vanity Fair 23 October 1902

    The Entertaining Robe


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