Credit: Stuart C. Wilson, Getty Images
As you strut your way across the Thames, power walking from A to B, haven’t you ever wondered what it’d be like to be joined by a flock of sheep? Nope? Just me. Well, believe it or not, the ability to do so would actually require you to achieve one of the highest honours in the capital, the Freedom of the City of London.
Although the prize has a long and ever-changing historical significance, it is now presented to sports stars, business leaders, royalty (yes, even King Charles is in on the action) and the Hollywood elite. However, regular folks like you and me can also be awarded, with ceremonies at the Guildhall taking place regularly.
The history behind the honour (and why sheep are involved)
The accolade is said to have started back in the year 1237, when being a “freeman” literally meant a person who was not the property of a feudal lord. Since then, the Freedom of the City has come to have a few different meanings, such as allowing the recipient to trade within the Square Mile, the historic centre of wider London.
So where do the sheep come into it? This quirk goes back to when the only people who didn’t have to pay a tariff to cross the only bridge over the Thames into the city were those who had the Freedom. Although now the Freedom exists as a tradition rather than having any rights attached to it, each year a famous face and hundreds of other honourees still drive a small flock of sheep across a London bridge for charity.
What famous faces have received the Freedom of the City of London?
The list of famous honourees is a lengthy one and includes big sports stars like Arsenal legend Ian Wright and the entire 2022 EURO England Women’s Football Team squad, as well as huge names in music and the arts like Sir Ian McKellen and Ed Sheeran. Many politicians have also been honoured, from international leaders such as Nelson Mandela and US Presidents, including Roosevelt and Eisenhower, to British Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.