One of the oldest traditional ceremonies that takes place in London is the honouring of someone with the Freedom of the City of London, which dates back to about 1237.
Being a freeman used to be a prerequisite for someone who wanted to do business in The City and the privileges that getting the Freedom of the City offered weren’t too bad, if a little eccentric.
Holders had the right to herd sheep over London bridge, to go about the City with a drawn sword, and if convicted of a capital offence, to be hung with a silken rope. Nice, better than facing the axe. They also had the right to avoid being press-ganged, to be married in St Paul’s Cathedral, to be buried in the City and to be drunk and disorderly without fear of arrest. Most people in Britain think they all have the last one anyway, but its good to have a few other get out of jail cards handy.
Apparently almost 1800 people a year still get the Freedom of the City and its open to any one from any country, it used to be restricted to British and Commonwealth citizens. There’s along list of honorary freeman including The Queen, Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela, Florence Nightingale, General Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.
Nelson Mandela, staggering down Ludgate Hill, drunk as a lord with his sword drawn, that would be a sight to see.
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