The Mayor of Tower Hamlets was a position first established in 1965 with the creation of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
It replaced the mayors of Bethnal Green, Poplar and Stepney.
The post holder is elected at a full council meeting in May of each year, and serves for one municipal year.
In 2010, a directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets was established.
The civic mayor position was renamed as the Chair of Council in October 2010 and Speaker of Council in November 2011.