In good Company

The City of London's livery companies are more than simply historical institutions: they are at the forefront of innovation and opportunity

- Written by Caroline Roddis

THE LORD Mayor's Show, an 800-year-old pageant chronicled by Pepys, painted by Canaletto and the first outdoor event ever to be televised live, is a fixture of English life. So too are the City of London livery companies whose colourfully robed members comprise a key part of this show, and which are built on an endearing and enduring combination of ritual, innovation, philanthropy and community spirit that's quintessentially British.

Each of these liveries is the 'Worshipful Company' of a particular trade and draws its members from those connected with, or supportive of, the relevant industry. You don't have to be a baker to join the Worshipful Company of Bakers, for example, but you might struggle to get in if you're a devotee of the keto diet or still upset about the Great Fire of London. (For which the Company did apologise. In 1986.)

The companies' names reflect their origins as medieval guilds: there were around 40,000 across England by the 14th century. Most faded over time but many liveries survived thanks to the City of London's singular economic and political importance – it was given the right to appoint its own mayor in 1215 by a beleaguered King John – and despite periodically being forced to repurchase their own governing documents, Royal Charters, by cash-strapped monarchs. Over time, these liveries shifted from regulators to industry pioneers, advancing their trades while raising significant funds for charities and the Armed Forces.