Members of the Corps took part in the Lord Mayor’s Show on Saturday 11 November
Communications Officer
Members of the Corps took part in the Lord Mayor’s Show on Saturday 11 November. Over 50 members walked in the parade, with five riders on horseback through London to celebrate 695th Lord Mayor of London will be Alderman Michael Mainelli.
Members were celebrating 116 years of the Corps providing resilience support for a range of civil and military organisations across London. Members in the walking procession were dressed to demonstrate our modern day role, the Corps is on call 24/7, 356 days of the year to provide vital support in times of crisis, and to celebrate our historic roles as SOE Agents and mechanics. The FANYs on horseback wore original 1907 uniforms with some riding side-saddle as would have been standard at the time as a nod to our heritage - as one of the oldest and most highly decorated all-female units in the UK.
The Lord Mayor’s Show is the oldest, longest, least rehearsed and best loved civic procession in the world. It is an ancient statement of London’s independence, a mediaeval display of pomp and pageantry and a modern celebration of the City’s strength and diversity.
The Show dates back to the early 13th century, when a desperate King John granted that the City of London could appoint its own Mayor. He insisted that each newly-elected Mayor must come upriver to distant Westminster and swear loyalty to the Crown. The Mayors, and later the Lord Mayors of London have been making that journey for over 800 years. Around them grew up the noisy, colourful, joyous procession that over the centuries became known as the Lord Mayor’s Show.