The kings and queens of London’s lesser-known royal family gathered outside a church in Covent Garden on a recent Sunday afternoon dressed in their sparkly finery. These are the Pearly Kings and Queens of London — keepers of a tradition that began in the Victorian era, was passed down through generations of families and became a symbol of the city’s working-class, Cockney culture. They see themselves as custodians of a waning way of life, which they carry on by singing Cockney songs, sharing Cockney stories and, crucially, collecting money for good causes. Modern pearlies, grouped by geographic area of London, have organized themselves into a few charitable groups and, like the better-known royal family, have at times feuded. But the pearlies argue over which group is the rightful caretaker of the pearly legacy.

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