Pearly kings and queens are leaders of London’s costermongers, street peddlers who sell fruits and vegetables. Pearly kings and queens are so-called because of their traditional costumes, which include suits, hats, and coats covered with pearl buttons set in intricate designs. Pearly queens traditionally wear ostrich feathers in their hats.
Pearly kings and queens, often called pearlies, represent the costermongers on ceremonial occasions. These events include the Costermongers’ Harvest Festival, usually held in October at the church of St. Martin in the Fields, in London. Pearlies also take part in the annual Lord Mayor’s Show and a number of other functions to raise money for a variety of charities.
Costermongers have traded in London streets since medieval times, but the tradition of pearly kings and queens only developed at the end of the 1800’s. The first pearly king was a teen-aged boy named Henry Croft, who worked as road sweeper and rat catcher in a London street market. Many of his friends were costermongers who decorated their clothes with rows of buttons along the seams. In 1875, Henry covered his entire suit with pearl buttons. Many pearlies have hereditary titles, but some pearlies are elected.
