Pearly Kings and Queens
Pearly Kings and Queens are London charity fundraisers who wear suits and dresses covered in mother-of-pearl buttons, a working-class tradition that began in the late nineteenth century. The custom is traced to Henry Croft, a road sweeper who decorated a suit with buttons to collect money for charity, inspired by the costermongers - London's street traders - who trimmed their clothes with pearl buttons.
In practice
Pearly families pass their titles down the generations, and each title is usually named after a London borough or district. A single suit can carry thousands of buttons sewn in patterns and symbols. Pearlies appear at fêtes, markets, charity events and a pearly harvest festival held each autumn, and several associations keep the tradition going.
Why it matters to newcomers
Pearlies are part of the old Cockney identity of London's East End and inner boroughs, along with rhyming slang and market life. They are not a tourist act but volunteers raising money; if you see them at an event, a donation is the expected response to a photograph.
Related
- Cockney rhyming slang - the language of the same world
- Lord Mayor - the City's own ceremonial tradition
Source: Pearly Kings and Queens Society.