DOI: https://doi.org/10.34680/urbis-2025-5(1)-96-10
Festive processions and city ceremonies in Tudor London
Svetlana Mednis
The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
ORCID: 0000-0002-7575-9607
ABSTRACT
The European cities were among the most critical institutions, characterized by complex social, economic, political, and cultural systems of relationships. They evaluated the increase in medieval corporations and interaction with the English court. Additionally, European cities served as the stage for a ritualized form of publicity. Royal entrances, initiation ceremonies, processions, and carnivals emphasized power relations. The performances reflected the legitimization of the royal power and its prestige. They demonstrated the status of corporations in the social system. The scripts included mythical and biblical allegories and consisted of a specific order of actions and staging logic. The scenic elements are based on space, social hierarchy, and philosophy. This article examines urban processions and festivities in sixteenth-century London based on city chronicles and civic calendars from the Tudor period. A cultural-anthropological approach is applied to explore the structure and symbolism of royal wedding processions, the inauguration ceremonies of the Lord Mayor, and theatrical masques within the urban space. Although these public celebrations trace their roots to medieval traditions, under the Tudors, they acquired features of triumphal spectacles. Special attention is given to the wedding entry of Catherine of Aragon in 1501, interpreted through the lens of Arnold van Gennep’s concept of rites of passage. This approach highlights the transformation of the bride's social status and her integration into the English royal court. The Lord Mayor’s inauguration is analyzed through its social, economic, and legal dimensions, revealing the vassal–seigneurial relationship between the City of London and the Crown. The evolution of royal masques is discussed in the developments at the Tudor court. These public rituals not only showcase the rich culture of Tudor London but also reflect the social hierarchy and worldview of both its citizens and the nobility.
KEYWORDS: London, Tudors, royal processions, masks, medieval city, cultural anthropology.
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Information about the author
Svetlana S. Mednis
Research Fellow of the Numismatics Department
The State Hermitage Museum
34, Palace Embankment,
St. Petersburg, 190000, Russian Federation
ORCID: 0000-0002-7575-9607
e-mail: [email protected]
For citation:
Mednis, S. S. (2025). Festive processions and city ceremonies in Tudor London. Urbis et Orbis. Microhistory and Semiotics of the City, 5(1), 96–104. https://doi.org/10.34680/urbis-2025-5(1)-96-10
