Each September on or near St Matthew’s Day, several hundred pupils
from Christ’s Hospital, the independent boarding school for young
people from all backgrounds, march through the City of London from
St Paul’s to the Guildhall. Led by their marching band, the Lord
Mayor, Sheriffs and other high officers from the City and the
School review the parade and invite the young people into the
Guildhall for lunch.
This annual event commemorates the School’s historic links with
the City. Christ’s Hospital was the original bluecoat school
established in the time of Edward VI at the insistence of the City
when the monastic institutions (which included schools) were
dissolved by Henry VIII. Christ’s Hospital remained in the City
until 1902 when it moved to Horsham, Surrey.
Read more about Christ's Hospital.