Professor Alexandra Olaya-Castro awarded Freedom of the City of London

On 28 October, Professor Alexandra Olaya-Castro of the UCL Physics & Astronomy, was awarded the Freedom of the City of London during a group ceremony hosted by Lord Mayor Professor Michael Mainelli. 

This was the third and final event of its kind to be held this year, bringing together 37 recipients to be honoured at the Lord Mayor’s official residence, The Mansion House, for outstanding achievements in their respective fields.

The awards were given as part of the Lord Mayor’s ‘Connect to Prosper’ theme, which focuses on the City's expertise in areas such as finance, law, and engineering, and brings together experts to work on critical global challenges, such as climate change and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

All recipients have been nominated for the Freedom by Lord Mayor Professor Michael Mainelli and Lord Mayor Elect Alastair King.

Lord Mayor Professor Michael Mainelli said: 

"Representing such a wide range of fields of expertise and backgrounds, these remarkable individuals have enriched the Square Mile’s diverse tapestry with their impressive achievements and contributions to public life and in our view, their Freedom awards are richly deserved.

“Today's ceremony embodies the essence of connectivity that underscores my mayoral theme, ‘Connect to Prosper’, celebrating our many Knowledge Miles and ability to find solutions to our planet's biggest challenges."

The Freedom of London is one of the oldest surviving traditional ceremonies still in existence today. It was first presented in 1237 and the medieval term 'freeman’ (‘man' as in old English represented werman and wifman) meant someone who was not the property of a feudal lord, but enjoyed privileges such as the right to earn money and own land. Those who were protected by the charter of their town or city were often free – hence the term 'freedom' of the City. 

From the Middle Ages and the Victorian era, the Freedom provided the right to trade, and enabled the members of a Guild or Livery to carry out their trade or craft in the Square Mile. In 1835, the Freedom was widened to incorporate not just members of Livery Companies but also people living or working in the City or those with a strong London connection. 

Today many of the privileges of Freeman are no longer relevant, but they do have the right to drive sheep over London Bridge, toll free, hence the photo of Barbara the sheep.

Links

• City of London news article - Freedom of the City of London
• Professor Alexandra Olaya-Castro’s academic profile
• UCL Physics & Astronomy