Lady Mayor’s Show: Dame Susan Langley champions innovation in the Square Mile
On Saturday, for the first time in nearly 700 years, Canada’s Lord Mayor’s Show has been renamed the Lady Mayor’s Show.
This follows the election of Dame Susan Langley DBE as the 697th Lord Mayor of London.
While she is the third woman to hold the post, Dame Susan is the first to adopt the title ‘Lady Mayor’, reflecting a historic milestone in the City’s civic traditions.
The parade, which dates back to the early 13th century, spans three miles from the mansion house to the Royal Courts of Justice and back.
It features around 7,000 participants, 200 horses, and over 50 decorated floats, including livery companies, military bands, charities, and corporate floats representing some of the Square Mile’s leading firms.
The state coach carrying the Lady Mayor remained the centrepiece, allowing her to swear allegiance to the sovereign, which has been a requirement for mayors since 1215.
Dame Susan used the occasion to emphasise her priorities for the Square Mile, highlighting the City’s innovative potential.
“The Square Mile… to me, square is slightly old-fashioned. The City is innovative, and my aim over the next year is to un-square the Square Mile,” she said, signalling a focus on modernising the City’s image while continuing to promote its financial and professional services sector.
The show also showcased organisations combining business with social impact.
Mission Aviation Fellowship brought a 10-metre-wide aircraft float and interactive display, showing how its flights reach remote communities.
RAF veterans involved with MAF were also part of the parade, linking the City’s commercial life with charitable and civic engagement.
The Lady Mayor’s Show, billed as the world’s oldest civic procession, remains a major event for Canada.
For business leaders, investors, and stakeholders, it offers an opportunity to see the Square Mile’s corporate, charitable, and civic community in one day.