The Lord Mayor's Parade is usually held each November to mark the appointment of the new Lord Mayor of London. Historically, its purpose was to allow the new Mayor to leave the City of London, and travel to Westminster to swear loyalty to the monarch. The parade took place first on horseback, and at some points, took in a procession on the Thames. The custom continues to this day as the Mayor travels through the City in the Lord Mayor's famous coach - itself dating from the 1750s - accompanied by a pageant celebrating the City and its people.