On April 22nd 1661 King Charles II processed in state from the Tower of London to Whitehall Palace on the eve of his Coronation. Although that ceremony on St George’s Day was the first occasion on which many of the pieces of regalia we saw in use a week ago at the similar occasion for King Charles III were to be used the procession itself through the City of London to Westminster was to be the last of its kind.
The tradition went back to the coronation in 1377 of King Richard II and was an occasion for the City to demonstrate its loyalty to the new monarch and for both sovereign and citizens to be seen in harmony - which was not always the day to day political reality. It was also an occasion for pageantry and display, for tableaux and addresses, for general celebration and merriment. As a result such occasions were recorded in considerable detail by chroniclers and diarists.
The Historic Royal Palaces blog has an account of what happened on that day in 1661 in an illustrated article which can be seen at Charles II's Coronation Procession from the Tower of London
It is a pity that the tradition lapsed in 1685 and that no one has sought subsequently to revive it either from the Crown of the City. I would have thought that it would appeal to the City Corporation and Guilds who are fond of pageantry and ceremonial. Maybe next time.
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