Museum of London

When doing research into what museums display Mayoral Gowns I came across the display in the City Gallery at the Museum of London, which I visited on a trip to London yesterday (27.03)

In the gallery there was a beautiful Lord Mayor's robe. It belonged to Walter Wilkin who was Lord Mayor of London from 1895-1896. It is incredibly decorative and is made of damask silk and gold. The Lord Mayors have many robes for different occasions, this one was an 'entertaining gown' worn on civic-state occasions when no royalty were present. 

One of the main exhibits in the museum is the Lord Mayor's coach (pictured above). This coach was used in the annual procession the Lord Mayor takes from the City to the Palace of Westminster to swear allegiance to the monarch. Originally in the early 13th century until the 1420s the Lord Mayor and his Aldermen would have taken this journey by horseback and then by water on a float until 1857. Historically the route varied each year because it would pass through the elected Mayors ward and so sometimes it was necessary to go along the river on a barge or float. The coach was introduced in 1711 after the Lord Mayor Sir Gilbert Heathcote fell of his horse, this was originally a hired carriage until in 1757 Sir Charles Asgill persuaded the Aldermen to buy a new state coach, as he was going to be the next Lord Mayor.

The 2009 Annual Lord Mayors Parade

I hadn't realised this tradition has continued throughout history. The robe that the Mayor is wearing is a ceremonial gown and seems identical to the Mayor’s robe that we are making.