'Pearly' Queens?

The origin of the so-called 'Pearly Kings and Queens', an iconic London tradition is heartily debated. Some maintain that the donning of shimmering, button-adorned clothing, started when a shipment of buttons mistakenly arrived at a London dock.

However, the actual history is somewhat more obvious, albeit hidden by a historical misnomer.

The practice is an old Pagan tradition which died out in many towns but persevered in the Purley area, just outside London. Priests of old would adorn themselves with shiny trinkets on festivals to reflect and magnify the devotion of followers.

In time the religious symbolism was lost and the 'Kings and Queens of Purley', as they came to be known, survived as the 'Pearly Kings and Queens' that can still be seen today.