Pearlies
London, September 2023
The London Pearly Kings & Queens Society at their annual Harvest festival event last month, which gathered Pearlies from across London, mayors and more.
The Pearly Kings and Queens are renowned figures of London’s history, with the tradition dating back to the late 1800s, it is to this day proudly upheld.
The original Pearly, orphan street sweeper Henry Croft of Somers Town, promoted charitable giving and community organising. Croft adapted his suit in the 1870’s, to include hundreds of mother-of-pearl buttons and sequins, in order to attract more attention to his fund raising activities.
Nowadays, there is a Pearly King and / or Queen for nearly every Borough of London, and their collection for charity remains central to their cause.
Their suits can take up to 6 months to hand stitch and customise, each of which often have nods to their respective area.
