Pearly King and Queen Crowning Ceremony

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Henry Croft, the original Pearly King, who embellished his trousers with pearl buttons to draw attention to his charity fund raising activities, and on Sunday the largest event of its kind in decades will see the crowning of a new generation of Pearly Kings and Queens. After a blessing at St Martin in the Fields, hundreds of friends, family members and followers, many wearing the iconic, button-covered suits, are expected to converge on the Carpenter’s Arms in the east end to take part in the knees-up with the new royalty. Don’t forget your camera.