The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the longest established and best known annual events in London which dates back to 1535. The Lord Mayor in question is that of the City of London, the historic centre of London that is now the metropolis's financial district, informally known as the Square Mile. A new Lord Mayor is appointed every year and the public parade that is made of his inauguration reflects the fact that this was once one of the most prominent offices in England. The ancient position of Lord Mayor of London has a role in the Square Mile, whilst the Mayor of London (which has existed only since 2000) is a different individual entirely, namely the elected head of the Greater London Authority.
The event is a street parade which in its modern form is a fairly light-hearted combination of traditional British pageantry and elements of carnival. On the day after being sworn in, the Lord Mayor and several others participate in a procession from the City of London to the Royal Courts of Justice in the City of Westminster, where the Lord Mayor swears his allegiance to the Crown. Formerly, the route was varied each year so that the procession could pass through the Lord Mayor's home ward; since 1952, however, the route has been fixed. The Lord Mayor rode on horseback or went on a barge via the River Thames, based on the route chosen. The river transport for the Lord Mayor's Show gave rise to the word float, used in the context of parades.
The procession begins at Guildhall; the Lord Mayor joins the rear from his official residence, Mansion House, having watched a flypast. Along the route, the Lord Mayor stops at St Paul's Cathedral in order to receive a blessing from the Dean on the Cathedral steps. On his arrival at the Royal Courts of Justice in Westminster, he takes the oath of allegiance; the return procession then recongregates on Aldwych, outside the London School of Economics stretching down to the River, before it begins from Temple Place. When returning, as when going to the Royal Courts of Justice, the Lord Mayor joins the back of the procession. Upon his return to Mansion House, members of the City of London Corporation welcome him.
The parade, which begins at about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, concludes at about half past two in the afternoon. The procession is over three miles (roughly five kilometres) long, but the route itself is much shorter; the head of the procession reaches the end of the route before the Lord Mayor even leaves his home. In the evening, a fireworks display is held.
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