The Shamrock Coronation Ball
19th October 2023Mercers' Hall
Mercers’ Company is the Number One Livery Company. The Irish Guards always host magnificent events. So a Shamrock and Dragons black tie dinner in Mercers’ Hall is particularly special.
Of course the first thing I did upon arrival was a photo session with Seamus, the Irish Wolfhound who is the most famous member of the regiment. He stole the show at the King’s Coronation and my heart the very first time I met him!
Having arrived early, Court Assistant Flora Okereke and I were treated to a tour of the Hall and some of its many treasures. Our guide was terrific and I was entranced by her knowledge and enthusiasm as we went back in time to the year 1200 when the Hospital of St Thomas of Acon was founded on the birthplace of Thomas Becket.
In 1394 the Mercers received their first Royal Charter. In 1395 Richard Whittington was elected Master. The Mercers have an entire area dedicated to this amazing and renowned man who was an English Merchant and politician. He was four times Lord Mayor of London and the inspiration for the English folk tale Dick Whittington and his cat.
Way ahead of their time, Mercers admitted their first woman member, Alice Bridenell, in 1428. The in-depth tour ended in their Chapel with the alabaster effigy of Sir Richard Fishborne, which was erected in 1633 over his burial place in Mercers’ Chapel. The Effigy has survived both the Great Fire of 1666 and the destruction of the Hall in the Blitz in 1941.
Upon exiting the Chapel, we were offered champagne and an evening of merriment. Over a delicious dinner, I enjoyed the company of a Chelsea Pensioner, whose wit and stories made the evening speed past.
Raising funds is an integral part of this event and an artist was commissioned to render an entire painting before the auction began!!! Unbelievable!! Fortunately he had a few moments while the bagpipes played and the piper received his hard earned whisky.
The most mesmerising part of the evening was the indescribable performance by Friederike Krum. An award winning German mezzo soprano, Friederike devotes her time and in this case music to the Chelsea Pensioners. They all clearly adore her. She truly sang like an angel and even allowed us to bid for more!! As is often the case, the celebrations ended too quickly and soon enough our carriages whisked us into the night.