The Lord Mayor’s Show – the inauguration of the new Lord Mayor of the City of London. The first Lord Mayor’s Show was held in 1215 when King John’s Charter stipulated that the new Lord Mayor must swear an oath of allegiance to the King and also to literally ‘show’ himself to the people. Since then only major disasters such as the Black Death have stopped the Show. The Lord Mayor’s procession winds through nearly 800 years of London’s history, marching unscathed through everything from the black death to the blitz. From 1422 and for centuries after, it travelled down the River Thames – hence the term ‘floats’, and there followed a time when the Lord Mayor rode on horseback. Since 1757 however, Lord Mayors have travelled in the famous ceremonial gold coach. In the 21st century, it’s a day out for half a million people, with 3 million more watching on television. More details.