The original charter of King John - probably one of several copies - can still be seen at the There has been a Lord Mayor of London ever since 1189, when Henry Fitzailwyn first held office.
It wasn't until 1215, when King John granted a Charter allowing the City's citizens to elect their own mayor, that the Lord Mayor's Show actually came into being. The Charter stipulated that the new Mayor must be presented to the Sovereign for approval and to swear fealty to the Crown, so each year the newly elected Mayor had to travel from the City to Westminster to pledge allegiance.
The Lord Mayor has been making that yearly journey for 784 years, surviving plague and fire and countless wars and insurrections. The modern Lord Mayor's procession is a direct descendant of that first journey to Westminster and the pageantry of Pepys and Canaletto is recognisable today.
Over the years the Mayor's Journey became so splendid that it became known as the Lord Mayor's Show. Today's Shows are a wonderful mixture of past, present and future with today's businesses, Livery Companies, charities, Her Majesty's Forces, the City Police and Londoners from all walks of life coming together to enjoy a splendid celebration of the City's tradition and future.