City on parade for first ever Lady Mayor's Show

The Lady Mayor of London waves to the crowds from her gold coach

For the first time in its more than 800-year history, the Lord Mayor's Show this year became the Lady Mayor's Show.

Dame Susan Langley DBE is not the City of London's first female lord mayor - she's the third woman out of the 697 people who have held the post - but she is the first to take the lady mayor title.

The show is a procession from the City to Westminster and dates back to the early 13th Century.

In 1215 King John granted that the City of London could appoint its own mayor, but required that each newly elected mayor should travel upriver to Westminster and pledge his loyalty to the King.

The mayors have made that journey for over 800 years and the show grew over the centuries into an elaborate parade.

Today it is an opportunity for livery companies, charities, businesses and armed forces units in the City to parade though the streets of London.

As well as their ceremonial duties, the Lord or Lady Mayor of London acts as an international spokesperson for the City and promotes the UK as an investment destination.

Their mayoral jurisdiction only extends to the square mile of the City of London, and a new incumbent is chosen each year.

It differs to the office of mayor of London that was created in 2000 where an elected politician serves a four-year term of office. This role is currently held by Sir Sadiq Khan.

The Mayor of London controls a budget of more than £20bn and has responsibility for transport, policing, fire, planning, and housing across Greater London.

Dame Susan, 62, took office in the Silent Ceremony at the Great Hall of the Guildhall on Friday.

She is the chairwoman of insurance broker Gallagher UK, was previously a lead non-executive director at the Home Office and received a damehood in 2023 for public service to the financial services industry.

The east London-born mayor helped found the Women's Business Council that advises government on how to boost women's contributions to economic growth.