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Enjoy a taste of London heritage during your stay by visiting the Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival.
Held this year on Sunday 24 September from 1.30pm, the Pearlies will assemble in the Guildhall Yard alongside mayors, dignitaries and Chelsea Pensioners for an afternoon of entertainment, culminating in a harvest festival at St Mary-le-Bow at 3pm.
Pearly Kings and Queens are committed to raise money for charity. They evolved from eighteenth-century coster kings and queens who shared their good fortunes with costermongers (street traders) who were struggling to make ends meet. The Pearlies sewed mother of pearl buttons onto their clothing as a cheeky nod to the strings of pearls worn by their wealthy West End patrons.