From Wikipedia: Pearly Kings and Queens, known as pearlies, are an organised charitable tradition of working class culture in London. The practice of wearing clothes decorated with pearl buttons originated in the 19th century and is first associated with Henry Croft, an orphan street sweeper who collected money for charity.
At the time, London Street traders were in the habit of wearing pearl buttons along the seams of their trousers. Croft adapted this to create the ‘pearly suit’ to draw attention to himself and aid his fund-raising activities. A memorial statue in the crypt of St Martin-in-the-Fields, reads: “In memory of Henry Croft who died January 1st 1930 aged 68 years. The original Pearly King. ”
The Pearly organisation he founded is now known as the Original London Pearly Kings and Queens Association and can be found at thepearlies.com. However, following disagreements, a rival London Pearly Kings and Queens Society was set up at pearlysociety.co.uk. There’s also a third and apparently unrelated organisation called The Pearly Kings & Queens Guild at pearlykingsandqueens.com.
For an account of these schisms in excruciating detail, see this 2001 Independent article The War Of The Pearly Kings. I spotted the above Pearlies gathering on London’s South Bank close to the National Theatre – and now wish I’d asked them which one of the groups they belong to.
And there was me thinking factionalism and infighting were unique to the British Political Left…
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