Lord Mayor's Show lights up the capital's streets

The Lord Mayor's Show parade Credit: ITV News

The 799th Lord Mayor's show has begun, with a huge parade snaking through the streets of the City of London to celebrate a new Lord Mayor being sworn in for the next year.

The parade began at 11am, heading towards the Royal Courts of Justice where the new mayor will come down from his golden carriage to swear an oath of allegiance. The day's events finish with a fireworks display on the Thames at 5.15pm.

A giant mechanical fish is part of this year's parade Credit: ITV News
All kinds of weird and wonderful floats are in this year's parade Credit: ITV News

The new Lord Mayor Alan Yarrow takes over from Fiona Woolf, only the second woman to hold the position in its history. The Mayor is the head of the City of London Corporation and is elected by the City livery companies - made up of trades ranging from fishmongers to Hackney Carriage drivers.

A military float in the procession Credit: ITV News

The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the oldest and most popular civic paegants in the world - with around 7,000 people expected to attend and millions more to watch on television.