Pearly Kings and Queens
Pearly Kings and Queens are so named because their outer clothes are covered in hundreds of pearl (or mother of pearl) buttons. Started in Victorian times by an orphan boy called Henry Croft who's birth date was the same as Queen Victoria who wanted to cash in on some of the glory of royalty by parading in public. The Pearly Kings and Queens were originally elected by costermongers (a hawker of fruit, vegetables, fish, etc) to act as champions of costermonger right from competition. They now devote their efforts to charitable activities. Website