Pearly Kings and Queens

[1][2] The practice of wearing clothes decorated with mother-of-pearl buttons[1] is first associated with Henry Croft (1861–1930), an orphan street sweeper who collected money for charity.

In the late 1870s, Croft adapted this to create a sequin suit to draw attention to himself and aid his fund-raising activities.

[5] In 1934, a memorial referring to Croft as "The original Pearly King" was unveiled in St Pancras Cemetery and in a speech to mark the occasion he was said to have raised £5,000 for those suffering in London's hospitals.

It was reformed in 1975[1][3] and holds the majority of the original pearly titles which are City of London, Westminster, Victoria, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Shoreditch, Islington, Dalston and Hoxton.

[8] Despite the rivalries, each group is associated with a church in central London and is committed to raising money for London-based charities.