User:Bonicolli/Drafts/Honorary Freemen of the City of London

This is a list of some people who have been awarded Honorary Freedom (or Freedom Honoris Causa) of the City of London. This is different, and much rarer, than being an 'ordinary' Freeman of the City of London. Whereas ordinary Freemen apply for the Freedom themselves (and about 1800 per year so do) and pay a 'fine' for this, people in this category do not apply for, but are invited by the Court of Common Council to take, the Freedom. Their presentation ceremony usually takes place in the Great Hall of the Guildhall before the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Common Councilmen and invited guests. The presentation on these occasions is made by the Chamberlain of London, and is usually followed by a Guildhall or Mansion House banquet. The first to be so honored was William Pitt the Elder in 1757.

There is a long standing tradition of admitting women to the Freedom. Although nowadays usually called Freemen as well, the historically correct way of referring to them is: Free Sisters.

In addition to those below, all monarchs and many other members of the British Royal Family have been awarded the honour.


 * Peter Ackroyd (awarded on 15.12.2006)
 * Robert Baden-Powell
 * Raymond Baxter (awarded in 1978)
 * Edward Berry
 * William Booth (awarded on 26.10.1906) See: Report on Salvation Army website
 * James Brooke (awarded in 1847)
 * Arnold Brown (General of The Salvation Army)
 * George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
 * Angela Burdett-Coutts ''(awarded on 18.07.1872) She was the first woman to be awarded the honorary Freedom.
 * Austen Chamberlain (awarded on 25.03.1926)
 * Jimmy Choo (awarded on 14.11.2006)
 * Winston Churchill (awarded on 30.06.1943)
 * Shaw Clifton (awarded on 13.09.2007)
 * Benjamin Disraeli
 * Alexander Downer, Sr. (awarded in 1965)
 * Robin Dunster (awarded on 13.09.2007)
 * Giuseppe Garibaldi
 * Bill Gates
 * Ron Goodwin
 * Ulysses S. Grant (awarded on 15.06.1877)
 * Alan Greenspan (awarded on 12.2005)
 * Marjorie Jackson-Nelson (awarded on 24.06.2005)
 * Edward Jenner
 * Digby Jones
 * Helmut Kohl (awarded on 18.02.1998 'as the first European leader').
 * Lee Kuan Yew
 * Lasse Lehtinen (awarded on 21.09.2007)
 * Ferdinand de Lesseps
 * Charles Lindbergh
 * Nelson Mandela (awarded 10.07.1996) See: Acceptance Speech
 * Ed Mirvish
 * Cormac Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor
 * Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala
 * Jawaharlal Nehru
 * Florence Nightingale ''(awarded 16.08.1908) She was the second woman who was awarded honorary Freedom.
 * Otto von Habsburg (awarded on 11.07.2007)
 * Luciano Pavarotti (awarded on 12.11.2005)
 * Frederick Penny, 1st Viscount Marchwood
 * William Pitt the Elder (received the first honorary Freedom in 1757)
 * William Pitt the Younger
 * William Reid (VC)
 * Franklin D. Roosevelt
 * Theodore Roosevelt (awarded on 31.05.1910)
 * James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez
 * Eric Sykes
 * Margaret Thatcher (awarded on 26.05.1989) See: Acceptance Speech
 * Bernard Weatherill
 * William Fenwick Williams
 * Bob Winter (awarded on 10.09.2007)
 * Garnet Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley