What a Pearly King taught me about Cockney rhyming slang and East London history

In mother-of-pearl suits, the Pearly Kings used to canvass East London for charity. The most famous one, George Major, died in August. A look back on this larger-than-life figure and the Pearly King tradition.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x2667+0+0/resize/4000x2667!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd7%2F2a%2F0f20775a438fb9db77dcb6c5b4d9%2F2024-04-24t093845z-924409494-mt1swnsp000wcwkb6-rtrmadp-3-swns.JPG' alt='George Major, known as the Pearly King of Peckham, wears his blinged-out suit in 2024. He died in August at age 88.'/><p>In mother-of-pearl suits, the Pearly Kings used to canvass East London for charity. The most famous one, George Major, died in August. A look back on this larger-than-life figure and the Pearly King tradition.</p><p>(Image credit: Tony Kershaw)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5928148' />