A right royal coronation for the next generation of Pearly kings
DESCENDANTS of one of the original families to adopt the tradition will be among those crowned as Pearly kings and queens next month.
The new royalty of the City of London, the City of Westminster and the London boroughs will be crowned at the Carpenters Arms, a classic East End pub, on 6 May.
The new Pearly kings, queens and princesses will wear their iconic hand-sewn button suits and raise money for charity, following in the footsteps of their founder Henry Croft who spent a lifetime helping the poor and needy and was born 150 years ago in St Pancras.
At the age of 13 Croft began working around the markets surrounded by apple sellers – known as Costermongers – and became fascinated by their “flash boy suits” decorated with penny-sized pearl buttons – which soon formed the basis for the legendary Pearly suits.